Hello Members
Unifor Local 531 would like to recognize and express our gratitude to those who have served or are serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. Your sacrifice for our freedom and security can never truly repaid. We hope our Members have a moment today to pause to honour the Fallen.
IROPS and “Mandatory Stays”
We want to recognize all of our Members who worked tirelessly over the past week. Recovering from one the biggest IT failures in the airline industry has been difficult. The impact in our three bases, YYC, YVR and YYZ was immense, and your hard work, dedication and teamwork is what got our guests onto planes and to their final destinations. The Executive Board of Local 531 would like to thank you all for your commitment to WestJet.
In our Labour Relations bi-weekly meeting this week, the Union expressed our disappointment in the Company’s failure in delivering shift extensions according to the CBA. We want to make it very clear. Mandatory stays implemented by Management are not an option to manage staffing during IROP situations. There is language in our Collective Agreement that dictates how shift extensions are to be processed.
Under Article X, Scheduling, Shift Extensions, the language reads as follows:
_-9.01 Employees may be required by the Company to remain at work after their scheduled shift end time if operationally required due to circumstances such as irregular operations or day-of staff shortages.
_-9.02 If the extension is greater than thirty (30) minutes, Qualified Employees will be solicited by position and in seniority order. An Employee may decline a shift extension if there are enough Qualified Employees with less seniority than the Employee in order to cover the Company’s operational requirements.
Coming into the winter months, the weather will surely cause more IROP situations where shift extensions will be used to manage staffing levels in the operation. The language provided above is how these incidents are to be handled. To our DDC teams, we know how hard you work to ensure staff are in the right place at the right time. We also know how difficult it must be to solicit extensions the correct way during busy, stressful IROPs. Please speak to your direct leaders in the HCC on how they can support you ensuring the CBA is being followed. If you need more support, please reach out to your Union representatives at your Bases.
If Members find themselves in a mandatory stay situation again, please contact the Union Representative immediately by text in your base and have your leader refer to the language in the Collective Agreement.
Paid Breaks
Over the past week, we have been supporting our members who missed their breaks due to operational needs. There is a process in place and language outlined in the Collective Agreement on how missed breaks must be handled. Please make yourself familiar with the process.
Article X, Scheduling, Breaks
4.06 In the event an Employee is required to waive a paid break due to operational requirements, the Employee will, no later than one (1) hour after the break was scheduled to begin, contact the Daily Duty Coordinator if they are in the Guest Service classification, or their manager if in a different classification, to have the paid break rescheduled during the balance of the shift. If a paid break cannot be rescheduled, due to operational requirements, the Company will allow the Employee to terminate their shift early with pay by the amount of time equal to the missed paid break, or may alternatively, elect to provide the Employee with additional pay at their regular wage rate for the amount of time equal to the missed paid break.
Seniority List
On Monday, we will be sending out an email regarding Seniority. It is important that all members read the email carefully and review the Seniority list to ensure your date of hire and employee number and position on the list is correct. The dispute period will be open for 2 weeks. The Master Seniority list is an integral part of our Union efforts.
Membership Executive Board Meeting and Holiday Gathering
We will be holding our first Membership meetings in November in Calgary and December in Vancouver. This will be your opportunity to gather with other members and meet your Executive Board. Times and details will be released in an upcoming Membership Update. For now, save these dates in your calendars.
YYC – Wednesday, November 30th , Calgary Airport Marriott, WildRose Room
YVR – Wednesday, December 14th, Vancouver Airport Fairmont, Room 539
Membership meetings will be scheduled regularly and are part of the democratic process Unions support. The meeting provides members the opportunity to meet regularly as a group, learn about the union, exchange ideas, meet the leaders and other members, debate and make decisions, make proposals, have input and get updated on upcoming events.
Canada Labour Code (CLC) Personal Days
All federally regulated employees are entitled to personal leave of up to 5 days each calendar year. For those who have completed 3 consecutive months of continuous employment with their employer, the first 3 days of the leave are paid. Follow the link below to view the Canada Labour Code language for Personal Days and more information. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/laws-regulations/labour/interpretations-policies/personal-leave.html
An employee may take personal leave when addressing any urgent matter concerning themselves or their family members. The determination as to whether something is considered “urgent” falls to the employee. It is not appropriate for an employer to determine what may or may not be urgent in an employee’s circumstance. Only when the employee’s reason is clearly not urgent and it is obvious that abuse is occurring, would it be appropriate for an employer to deny a personal leave. The employer must give the benefit of doubt to the employee.
Qualifying Conditions:
- treating their illness or injury
- carrying out responsibilities related to the health or care of any of their family members
- carrying out responsibilities related to the education of any of their family members who are under 18 years of age
- addressing any urgent matter concerning themselves or their family members
- attending their citizenship ceremony under the Citizenship Act, and
- any other reason prescribed by regulation
Procedure
Outside of 24hrs: Email your Bases’ ESA team, stating your need to access a Canada Labour Code personal day. The ESA team will code your shift with the appropriate paid or unpaid, depending on your balance of unused time.
Inside 24hrs: Call DDC, no later than 2 hours prior to the commencement of your shift, to notify that you will not be in. Email your Bases’ ESA team stating your need to access a Canada Labour Code personal day. The ESA team will code your shift with the appropriate paid or unpaid, depending on your balance of unused time.
Please note that it is not appropriate for ESA or other leaders to ask you to try and trade or pool your shift first before granting a Personal Leave Day. This is not an expectation nor a requirement. If you run into any issues, please contact your Union representatives at your Base.
Bereavement Leave
Within your Collective Agreement, under Article X, Bereavement Leave, it outlines your bereavement entitlements.
Qualifying relationships for bereavement leave:
In the case of the death of a spouse, common-law partner, child of Employee or spouse, parent, stepparent, or parent-in-law, the Employee is entitled to a paid leave of up to five (5) Calendar Days, as well as an additional five (5) Calendar Days of unpaid leave;
In the case of the death of a grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or relative permanently residing with the Employee, the Employee is entitled to a paid leave of up to three (3) Calendar Days, as well as an additional seven (7) Calendar Days of unpaid leave.
Procedure:
Email your local Base ESA team to notify the requirement for time off for bereavement. The bereavement leave days do not necessarily need to be taken consecutively.
Additional noteworthy article language
You will maintain travel privileges in accordance with the Company Travel Privileges Policy, during bereavement leave. You will be pay protected for the actual scheduled hours you are absent due to bereavement leave. Bereavement leave may be taken during the period that begins on the date on which the family member’s death occurs and ends six (6) weeks after the latest date of any funeral, burial, or memorial service for that family member occurs.
Lastly, we want to wish good luck to our brothers and sisters in Toronto who will be meeting with Unifor and the Company this upcoming week for Collective Agreement Negotiations.
Have a great week everyone and as always, we are here for you. Please send us an email at [email protected] if you have questions, ideas, proposals, and concerns.
In Solidarity
Unifor Local 531, Executive Board
Karen Berry, President
Mark Enns, Secretary Treasurer
Breanne Laihow, YVR District Chair
Sherwin Antonio, YYC District Chair
Kara Jahn, Communications Director
Elaine Keras, Trustee
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