WS Seniority Bidding Support - April 9-11, 2022

Dear WestJet Members,

Members of the SRC and CUPE 4070 Executive will be available in the Crew Room to support the transition to Seniority Bidding. All times below are Local Base Time (LBT):

YVR Crew Room
April 9, 2022: 11:00 - 19:00
April 10, 2022: 09:00 - 17:00
April 11, 2022: 09:00 - 17:00

YYC Crew Room

April 9, 2022: 12:00 - 20:00
April 10, 2022: 07:00 - 13:00 & 19:00 - 22:00
April 11, 2022: 11:00 - 19:00

YYZ Crew Room

April 9, 2022: 14:00 - 21:00
April 10, 2022: 09:00 - 21:00
April 11, 2022: 09:00 - 21:00

Microsoft Teams Meeting (Online)*
April 9, 2022 at: 16:30PT / 17:30MT / 19:30ET
CLICK HERE TO JOIN

April 11, 2022 at: 12:00PT / 13:00MT / 15:00ET

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

*Recordings will be posted to the CUPE 4070 Portal

Below are the pre-dispute, base filtered MSLs. These base filtered lists are not an official MSL, please refer to the Company MSL for the official list. The WS MSL is subject to disputes until April 30, 2022.

YVR Base Filter MSL

YYC Base Filter MSL
YYZ Base Filter MSL

We look forward to seeing you!

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 WestJet Scheduling Review Committee
WS YVR, Sarah Ferraro
WS YYC, Shelly MacDonald
WS YYZ, Calvin Gautschi
&
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

April 2022 Newsletter

CUPE 4070 - 2022 General Membership Meeting Dates

Dear Members,

We would like to announce the dates for our 2022 General Membership Meetings (GMM):

• Tuesday May 31, 2022 at 11:00 PT/12:00 MT/14:00 ET

• Tuesday November 15th, 2022 at 11:00 PT/12:00 MT/14:00 ET

A reminder, as discussed at the Special Membership Meeting on March 7, these GMM's will be held virtually. We will send the registration details closer to the posted GMM dates.


In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

WestJet Encore Hotel & Transportation Committee - By-Election Results

Dear WestJet Encore Members,

The by-election for WestJet Encore Hotel & Transportation Committee has now ended.

The results are as follows:
Tracy Tapang 66 (45.8%)
Mauricio Garcia 49 (34.0%)
Kirsten Brown 29 (20.1%)

A total of 144 Members in Good Standing participated in this by-election.

Thank you to all Members that participated in this by-election.

In Solidarity,
Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer - CUPE 4070

President, CUPE 4070 - By-Election Results

Dear Members,

The by-election for CUPE 4070 President has now ended.
The results are as follows:

Crystal Hill 470 (32.4%)
Alia Hussain 346 (23.8%)
Tara Mowat 277 (19.1%)
Rose Streete 243 (16.7%)
Reza Ghalamkari 83 (5.7%)
Nika Porter 32 (2.2%)

A total of 1451 Members in Good Standing participated in this by-election.

As Crystal held the CUPE 4070 Vice-President office, this election result now means we will need a CUPE 4070 Vice-President by-election. Stay tuned for more information on this by-election.

Thank you to all Members that participated in this by-election.


In Solidarity,
Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer - CUPE 4070

WestJet (WS) Master Seniority List – April 2022 Release

Dear WestJet Members,

The updated MSL has been published and the dispute period opens today, April 1, 2022, in accordance with Article 15 of the Collective Agreement.

15-2 CABIN PERSONNEL MASTER SENIORITY LIST
15-2.01 The Company shall maintain a Master Seniority List (MSL) for Cabin Personnel.

The MSL shall be published twice annually, on the first Calendar Day of April and the first Calendar Day of October, with a copy to the Union. The MSL shall be posted electronically on the Company intranet and on Cabin Crew Devices (CCD), and shall remain there until replaced by an updated list. 

15-3 CORRECTION TO MASTER SENIORITY LIST 
15-3.01 A Cabin Personnel shall have thirty (30) Calendar Days following publication of the MSL to contest, in writing, to the designated Labour Relations representative, any alleged error or omission related to them. 

15-3.02 A Cabin Personnel may not contest the same alleged error or omission twice. 

If you wish to dispute your position on the April 2022 MSL, please follow the link provided by the Company (“Master Seniority List Dispute form”) in your Company e-mail. 

• The Union and the Employer will meet to discuss any disputes arising from the MSL prior to the dispute period closing 

• The Union will post the updated MSL behind the Member’s Portal (www.cupe4070.ca) 

• The Union has requested that JDE reflect MSL verbiage for Global and Base filtered seniority, which the Company will action 

• Upon the completion of the April dispute period and finalization of the MSL, the Union will publish the MSL by base behind the Member’s Portal. There is only one Master Seniority List. The CA does not speak to MSL filtered by base; this is a Union initiative requested by the Membership. The Company will not be publishing a Base filtered MSL.

To set-up access to the website Portal, please click on this email.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact the Union at www.cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

WS Scheduling Review Committee – Seniority Bidding Update #1

Dear WestJet Members, 

We would like to provide you with an update on Seniority Bidding. We know that there have been many questions and a heightened sense of anticipation amongst the membership as the bidding date for our first seniority-based schedule is fast approaching.

On Feb 9th, the Local 4070 Scheduling Review Committee (SRC), Communications Committee, and the Company met to discuss the prospect of a collaborative communication strategy. The Company and the SRC discussed the development of a strategic plan, including communication, videos, a microsite, emails, and support in each base.

The SRC and the company will be meeting daily through the first seniority bidding process. The Communications Committee and Executive has been and will continue to attend these meetings with the SRC to capture points for Membership communication about this process.  

What is the Union’s scope in this process?
As per the collective agreement, the Union’s scope is to ensure that the Collective Agreement is adhered to. 

What does the SRC do?
We work collaboratively with our counterparts at the Company to ensure CA language is followed and discuss scheduling implementation and any associated challenges. We are not directly involved in the development or implementation of the software, the Company is overseeing and implementing this bidding system. The SRC is tasked with ensuring that what was promised is delivered. In this respect, the SRC has been working tirelessly to obtain information from the Company about where we are at in the process, associated timelines, and when training is to occur per LOU #1, since the first quarterly meeting held in September 2021. 

...The Parties recognize that such a transition is a significant change to how Cabin Personnel bid their monthly schedules and the Company agrees to work collaboratively with Union representatives of the Scheduling Review Committee throughout the transition. Furthermore, the Company commits to training the Schedule Review Committee on the functionality of the seniority-based preferential bidding system for the purposes of carrying out their duties pursuant to Article 34 – Scheduling (34-2.02). - LOU#1 

IMPORTANT: April bids are live. If you have already bid for May, this bid is active for seniority bidding. However, if you have a standing bid entered from previous months, your standing bid is not active and you will have to re-enter it. The new options and attributes will be added to Wings on April 1. We encourage everyone to place bids after the new attributes have been added. 

We will be bidding using the current Wings website, and apart from a few bidding options, the website will continue to look and function the same as it does today. The main difference will be what is happening in the background with the seniority solver as well as the extra options available in the drop-down menu. 

Upon its launch in May, there will be 16 bid lines. The Union recognizes that 16 lines may not be enough and will be diligently meeting with the Company to provide our Members with what they need to make the seniority bidding system a success. Most options will remain the same, however there will be extra added options as outlined in the Transition to Seniority Bidding microsite on Westnet.  

One of the biggest requests from our Membership was to have the ability to bid on specific pairing numbers and dates. The SRC brought those concerns to the Company and were successful in obtaining that request. It should be noted as well that the equalizer will be abolished and there will be no minimum days to work. If you are senior enough to work 8-9, 10 hour one-day pairings, then you will only be scheduled 8-9 days for the month.  

The option to bid for AM/PM reserve will be live for May schedules.

What other changes can I expect going forward? 
- The Company will publish the electronic bid packages by 09:00MT on the 9th.
- Bidding will close at 09:00MT on the 12th.  
- Schedules will be published no later than 19:00MT on the 21st.  

What support is available for Members? 
We have been consistently capturing your questions and concerns and we have been working with the Company on continuous communication and microsite content. Members of the SRC will be available in the Crew Rooms on April 9, 10, and 11. More information on this to follow. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 WestJet Scheduling Review Committee
WS YVR, Sarah Ferraro
WS YYC, Shelly MacDonald
WS YYZ, Calvin Gautschi
&
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Canadian Residency Declaration

Dear WestJet Members, 

Earlier today, the Company sent all WestJet Cabin Personnel a communication via e-mail to confirm that Canadian residency is an ongoing term and condition of employment at WestJet. To ensure this is clear, Canadian residency means that you primarily reside at a location within Canada. We urge you to read the Company communication thoroughly if this may apply to you. 

If any Cabin Personnel, whether active or inactive (including layoff), primarily reside in a country other than Canada, you are required to disclose to the Company by April 6, 2022, using the form link in the email sent to all WestJet Cabin Personnel. 

The Company has confirmed that there will be no discipline issued for Cabin Personnel who are currently not primarily residing in Canada and who have disclosed this to WestJet by April 6, 2022. 

For any Cabin Personnel who declare their non-Canadian residency using the process above, please reach out to the Union to discuss your options and next steps at: https://www.cupe4070.ca/residency-contact 

As always, if you require representation or have any concerns, please reach out to your Union: cupe4070.ca/contact 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

WS Scheduling Review Committee - Reserve Update

Dear Members,

This communication is being sent out regarding issues that have been consistently trending around reserve. Prior to addressing these issues though, we would like to first and foremost express our gratitude and thanks to our CCMs. We know that these times continue to be challenging, and we thank each of you for all the incredible work you do every day. Recalls are now complete, and we would like to welcome back all our CCMs! And finally, thank you to all the CCMs that have taken the time to document and follow up on perceived misapplications and violations of reserve callouts and assignments. Properly documenting these issues gives your union reps the tools to act and address these issues.

The Union has identified and brought forth to the Employer several inconsistencies with reserve across the bases. What we are seeing is call outs being done out of order of reverse seniority; types of reserve, including ASR and RTD, are being incorrectly assigned; and inconsistencies surrounding flex reserve. Your Scheduling Review Committee (SRC) has been working in collaboration with all the Base VPs to trend these issues and are working to hold the employer accountable for not following the language in the agreement as it pertains to reserve. As the Employer holds CCMs accountable to our work rules, so should we hold the Employer accountable to follow our agreement.

If you believe you think have been called out of seniority order, and/or assigned ASR or RFX incorrectly, please reach out to your DPM and CC your CUPE 4070 Scheduling Review Committee (ws.src@cupe4070.ca).

Note, it is important that the correct procedure be followed for your union to be able to advocate for you.  Please contact your DPM via email to have an informal discussion regarding the matter.  Be sure to CC the SRC (ws.src@cupe4070.ca) and provide the following details: 

• Type of reserve assigned (RAM/RPM/ASR/RTD/RFX) 

• Day of reserve duty 

• Assignment (pairing details) 

• Employee # & MSL # 

• What the violation was that occurred 

Also, please be aware that you are responsible to ensure that all subsequent emails between you and your DPM continue to include your Union so that we can follow up. 

Flex Reserve (RFX) - Update
We know that there have been questions around assignment of RFX. The concerns brought forth regarding RFX falls into two main categories; the first being that we were seeing anywhere from 1-6 people being assigned RFX, and the second being that these people are often all being assigned different start/end times for the RFX block. Reserve holders are being organized into reserve ‘buckets’; RAM, RFX, and RPM, and the Employer is assigning reserve by reverse seniority from these ‘buckets’. Your Union is taking issue with the lack of transparency that results from creating multiple RFX ‘buckets’ in terms of seniority based and ‘best fit’ callouts.

The SRC has been meeting with the Employer on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so in order to come to a solution that works for our members, as well as the operation. Starting in April the Company will be trialing the assignment of RFX with parameters that have been agreed upon by the union. RFX will be assigned to a maximum of 3 CCMs per day, except in cases of an IROP. All Cabin Personnel on RFX will hold the same callout window, except for instances of an IROP, to mitigate the current scenario where there are several callout windows, essentially creating the ability to circumvent seniority. Pairings will be assigned to RAM and RPM prior to assigning to RFX. This trial will extend until the end of May and reviewed by the SRC with the Company prior to May 9 to determine its effectiveness. Please refer to your Collective Agreement;

35-5.03 As operationally required, the Company may schedule a flexible Reserve period which will fit between 0600 LBT and 2100 LBT with a call out window no longer than twelve (12) hours.

35-5.04 For North American operations: 

b) A Cabin Personnel assigned a flexible Reserve Period will not be required to operate a Red-eye Flight in the first duty period of an assigned pairing without the Cabin Personnel’s consent. 

35-5.05 The Company may contact a Reserve Holder between 1000 LBT and 2000 LBT at least twelve (12) hours before the commencement of a Reserve Block to convert AM Reserve Periods to flexible Reserve Periods for a Reserve Block. This shall be assigned by reverse seniority. Once AM Reserve Periods are converted to flexible Reserve Periods, the call-out window for that Reserve Block will not be further modified. 

As we continue discussions with the employer to rectify these misapplications and violations of our reserve rules, we ask for your continued respect when communicating with crew scheduling.  The Crew Scheduling department has welcomed many new staff members to their team recently, all of whom are working to learn and understand the rules of our Collective Agreement.  Likewise, we ask that each of you also take the time to read and fully understand the reserve processes as they are outlined in our agreement.   

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your elected representatives: cupe4070.ca/contact.

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 WestJet Scheduling Review Committee
WS YVR, Sarah Ferraro
WS YYC, Shelly MacDonald
WS YYZ, Calvin Gautschi
&
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

March/April 2022 By-election (Copy)

Dear Members,

We are now ready to run a by-election for various positions. I would like to thank you all for your patience as I worked through a significant change to our Membership numbers over the last month or so. After receiving an updated Member list from each Company, there were several more changes that came and needed to be worked through to ensure we have a full account of our Membership.

There are no Swoop specific vacancies during this round of elections. A future by-election is planned in coordination with the first flow classes from WO to WS. 

Some of the following positions will be airline and base specific. The position of President of CUPE 4070 is open to all eligible Members from any of our 3 units.

The following positions are term positions, ending in November 2022:

CUPE 4070 
President 

WestJet 
Any Base:  
Women’s Committee - x1

WestJet YVR: 
Bylaw Review Committee - x1 
Union Steward - x3 

WestJet YYC: 
Commuter Committee - x1 
Union Steward - x2

WestJet YYZ: 
Union Steward - x2 

WestJet Encore 
Any Base: 
Communications Committee - x1 
Hotel & Transportation Committee - x1 

WestJet Encore YYC: 
Scheduling Review Committee - x1 
Union Steward - x1 

WestJet Encore YYZ: 
Union Steward - x1 

Please take note of the following timelines: 

Nominations OPEN: Wednesday March 16, 2022 @ 03:00 PT / 04:00 MT / 06:00 ET 

Nominations CLOSE: Tuesday March 22, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET 

Nomination Acceptance Email OUT: Wednesday March 23, 2022 – minimum 48hour notice 

Nomination Acceptance DUE: Friday March 25, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET 

Resume/Info Sheet DUE: Saturday March 26, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET 

Elections START: Sunday March 27, 2022 @ 03:00 PT / 04:00 MT / 06:00 ET 

Elections END: Saturday April 2, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET 

All WestJet CUPE 4070 Members In Good Standing (signed card and paid $5 Membership fee) can nominate other Members In Good Standing and participate in the voting process. If you wish to participate in this election round and have not signed a card, please sign a card and pay the $5 Membership fee on our website at least 24 hours before the nominations or elections end for processing. SIGN A CARD HERE 

Nomination Forms: 

CUPE 4070 - President
WestJet
WestJet Encore

All nomination forms must be filled out electronically or printed and scanned and sent by email to: elections@cupe4070.ca by Tuesday March 22, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET.

Please include the position and the nominee's name in the subject line of your email. 

Notes

• The nominator must discuss the nomination with the nominee and both must be Members In Good Standing (Signed Union card and paid $5 membership fee) 

• Base specific positions require the nominee and the nominator to be based in the same base and working for the same unit. 

• Only one nomination form is required per nominee for the same position.  

• You cannot nominate yourself. 

Nomination Acceptance: 
Beginning on Wednesday March 23, 2022, all Members who have been nominated will be sent an email from Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer, asking if they will allow their name to stand on the ballot and accept the nomination. These individuals will have until Friday March 25, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET to accept or decline their nomination. 

If you have been nominated for a position, please monitor your email and spam/junk folder during this period. Nominees who do not reply by the deadline will automatically be considered to have declined their nomination.

Resume/Info Sheet: 
All nominees that accept their nomination will be given the opportunity to provide a one (1) page (standard 8.5x11 size) resume/info sheet which can be posted on our social media pages and website with links sent by email to all Members for review.

Nominees must send their resume/info sheet in PDF format to: elections@cupe4070.ca by Saturday March 26, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET.  

You can start creating your resume/information sheet ASAP. 

Please do not 

• Submit large file resume/info sheets 

• Use company logos 

• Provide any information you don’t want public 

Elections:
Elections START: Sunday March 27, 2022 @ 03:00 PT / 04:00 MT / 06:00 ET 

Elections END: Saturday April 2, 2022 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET 

Electoral Officer: 
The Electoral Officer for this by-election will be Sylvia Alves, WestJet Cabin Crew Member and Communications Committee Chair - YYC Base. 

In Solidarity,
Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer - CUPE 4070

LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING (LOU) #7 – Wide-body North American Maximum Planned Duty Periods (Copy)

Dear WestJet Members,

We are pleased to inform you that because of discussions that occurred between the Union and the Company, we have reached an understanding regarding wide-body North American maximum planned duty periods.

You can review LOU #7 by clicking on this link. The LOU has been pushed to your CCD. We will also upload the document on our website.

As always, if you require representation or have a workplace concern, please contact us: cupe4070.ca/contact.

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Special Membership Meeting Reminder (Copy)

Dear Members,

This email is a reminder that we will be holding a Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on Monday March 7, 2022 at 11:00 PT / 12:00 MT / 14:00 ET to discuss and approve the CUPE 4070 budget.

This will be our 3rd attempt at passing a budget. We were unable to pass one at the November 2021 General Membership meeting due to a lack of time. Another General Membership Meeting was held 45 days later in December 2021 where quorum was not met.

We currently have 25 Members signed up for the meeting. The CUPE 4070 Bylaws speaks to Special Membership Meetings and quorum as follows:

SECTION 5 – MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
(b) Special Membership Meetings of Local 4070 may be required and shall be called by the Board or may be requested in writing by no fewer than five percent (5%) of the total membership. The President shall immediately advise members when a Special Membership Meeting is called and ensure that all members receive at least twenty-four (24) hours’ notice of the Special Membership Meeting, the subject(s) to be discussed, the date, time and location. No business shall be transacted at the Special Membership Meeting other than that for which the meeting is called, and notice given.

(c) Quorum The minimum number of members required to be in attendance for the transaction of business at any General or Special meeting shall be forty (40) members, plus at least two (2) members of the Board. Should quorum not be obtained at any General Membership Meeting, the Board shall have the authority to conduct the business of the Local and will report at the next General Membership Meeting.

Members in Good Standing (that have signed a Union Card) are asked to sign-up for our Teams Meeting using this link:

Meeting Sign-up

The SMM will start at 11:00 PT / 12:00 MT / 14:00 ET

Documents:
Special Membership Meeting documents are now posted on the CUPE 4070 website for review. Please log in to the Portal by following this link: https://www.cupe4070.ca/portal

The documents for review are located in the General Membership Meeting / Special Membership Meeting tab:

• Agenda

• CUPE4070 Proposed Budget March-December 2022

• CUPE4070 Cash Accounts Expenditures Statement 2021-12-01 to 2022-03-01

Website Access:
If you need to set-up Portal access, please follow the appropriate link below:

Work Group: WestJet
Visit www.cupe4070.ca/westjet-sign-up

Work Group: WestJet Encore
Visit www.cupe4070.ca/westjet-encore-sign-up

Work Group: Swoop
Visit www.cupe4070.ca/swoop-sign-up

Then:
Enter password: CUPE4070
Click the “Subscribe” link
Complete the registration form
You will receive an email confirmation. Follow the steps in the email.

We look forward to seeing you there!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us: cupe4070.ca/contact


In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

WestJet’s Acquisition of Sunwing (Copy)

Dear Members,

Your CUPE 4070 Executive was notified yesterday of WestJet's pending acquisition of Sunwing. We want to assure you that we have every intention of keeping Members as informed as possible every step of the way: 
 

What we do know: 

• The deal is waiting on regulatory approval. Approval could take between 9 and 18 months

• The Company will be reaching out to the Union for further discussion as this develops 

• Sunwing is a tour company operating its own charter flights mostly to sun destinations 

• Sunwing is the largest travel company in North America, the vertically integrated Sunwing Travel Group 

• Sunwing Cabin Crew are Members of CUPE Local 4055. The local has about 800 members 

What we don’t know: 

• The corporate structure of this acquisition. We do not know if WestJet intends to run the Sunwing portion as a separate entity, or as part of existing, expanded operations

• The status/seniority of any employees potentially brought over from Sunwing

• How this might impact where the WestJet Group flies and routings

The WestJet, WestJet Encore, and Swoop Collective Agreements address acquisitions in their scope articles (Article 6): 

6-1 GENERAL  

6-1.01 Subject to the application of the Canada Labour Code, or any other statute or applicable law, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in the event that the Company changes ownership, acquires another airline, is sold to another airline, or merges with another airline. 

Westjet and WestJet Encore Collective Agreements say the following:  

6-3 BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS  

6-3.01 After the Company has signed and announced a capacity purchase agreement, code-share agreement, marketing agreement, interline agreement, block space agreement, joint venture, or any other agreement that provides for the sharing of passengers or revenue between the Company and another air carrier, the Company shall, upon request of the Union, and subject to the Parties reaching an agreement on confidentiality, meet with the Union in good faith to discuss: (i) the potential impact of the agreement on Cabin Personnel; and (ii) options to address that impact on Cabin Personnel.  

6-3.02 The Company will not establish a new affiliate for the purposes of circumventing the terms and conditions of this Agreement. 

6-4 JOB SECURITY 

6-4.01 No Cabin Personnel shall be laid off as a direct result of the Company’s business relationships with WestJet Encore Ltd. And Swoop Inc., and/or other airlines, including capacity purchase agreements, code-sharing agreements, marketing agreements, interline agreements, block space agreements and joint ventures.   

We understand this news may feel overwhelming, particularly after so many years of uncertainty in our beloved industry. While we believe there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic, we ask that you be mindful that Members of Local 4055 (Sunwing) have also endured the same struggles that we have these last few years, and this news is likely to have caused significant uncertainty for them as well.  

The Employer has a Q&A on SharePoint (you can find the link for this in your Company Email), and until more information is available, your CUPE 4070 Executive will be planning for all possibilities. We ask for your patience as we navigate this acquisition. As new information comes available to your CUPE 4070 Executive, it will be provided to Members. 

As always, if you require representation or have a workplace concern, please contact us: cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Special Membership Meeting - Budget: Sign-up Form (Copy)

Dear Members,

As a reminder, we will be holding a Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on March 7, 2022. This SMM is specific to the operating budget for the Local.

Special Membership Meetings differ from General Membership Meetings in that “no business shall be transacted at the Special Membership Meeting other than that for which the meeting is called, and notice is given.” More information on Special Membership Meetings can be found in Section 5b of the CUPE 4070 Bylaws.

Members in Good Standing (that have signed a Union Card) are asked to sign-up for our Teams Meeting using this link:

Meeting Sign-up

The SMM will start at 11:00 PT / 12:00 MT / 14:00 ET

We look forward to seeing you there!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us: cupe4070.ca/contact

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

WestJet Encore - Contract Implementation For March 2022

Dear WestJet Encore Members,

Your Union would like to shed some light on the upcoming implementation of the Collective Agreement, our goal is not only to provide clarity on which agreement provisions will come into effect and when but bring some clarity and answer some questions that might arise with this implementation.

Please refer to the table below to the articles that be implemented for the March scheduling month:

As per the Collective Agreement Article:

Drafting:

Both the Company and the Union are committed to not cancelling flights. In keeping with this commitment, a draft shall be considered as an option of last resort.

If the Company has exhausted the available options to cover a company open time pairing, Crew Scheduling will draft a Cabin Crew Member who is on a day (or days) off. In such circumstances, the Company shall draft a Cabin Crew Member in reverse seniority order by base. Before drafting can commence, Crew Scheduling will need to ensure call outs have been completed on the following
steps:

1. Cabin Crew Member on return to duty (RTD) status

1. Cabin Crew Members holding reserve duty

1. Post the open time pairing for voluntary pick up

It is important to note that no Cabin Crew Member will be drafted more than three (3) times in a calendar year and drafting cannot occur on a GDO.

If a Cabin Crew Member is drafted for a pairing, they shall receive premium pay at two (2) times the Cabin Crew Member’s regular rate of pay in accordance with Article 41 – Pay Administration.

Things to keep in mind:

• When called on your day off, you are NOT obligated to answer the call.

• If you answer the call, you MUST accept the pairing providing you are fit to fly.

• You are expected to report to work fit for duty and to remain fit for duty, free of any negative impacts of alcohol or other drug use. The 12 hours cut off time should always be respected.

• Any issues with commuting, and any seen and unforeseen circumstances that may prevent you from reporting within the allowable 2 hour- window needs to be communicated with Crew Scheduling immediately.

There will be key changes in March to the reserve program. There are two key subsections under section 35-3 (reserve duty) of the collective agreement that will see changes. These includes:

• 35-3.03: The conversion from AM Reserve Periods to flexible Reserve Periods for a Reserve Block, if required, will now be based on seniority.

Given the changes found in the Reserve article, Cabin Personnel are encouraged to review the section in detail and become familiar with each provision.

Things to keep in mind:

• A flexible Reserve Period can be anywhere in between 0600 LBT (Local Base Time) mad 2100 LBT

• The reserve window will not be longer than 10 hours

• The Company may contact a Reserve Holder between 1000 LBT and 2000 LBT at least twelve (12) hours before the commencement of a Reserve Block to convert AM Reserve Periods to flexible Reserve Periods for a Reserve Block.

• The more senior Reserve Holder will have the right to decline the conversion when more junior Reserve Holders are available.

• The most junior qualified Reserve Holder must accept the reserve assignment

• When CS (Crew Scheduling) call the most senior reserve holder and they do not answer immediately, they will continue calling the next reserve holder until the AM Reserve Block has been converted. However, CCMs must return a call from CS within 15 minutes of the initial call or will be coded as “No Show”.

• 35-3.14: This provision outlines the Pairing Assignment Process for a reserve holder. It outlines how Crew Scheduling will first assign pairings to reserve holders and in what order. It is key to note that more senior cabin crew will have a right to pass on assignments if more junior crew members are available.

Things to keep in mind:

• Assignments will be made to the Reserve Holder with the number of available Reserve Periods remaining exactly matching the length of the available pairing.

• Example: If you are starting a 5-day res block and the offering is for a 5-day pairing, is it more likely that the pairing will be assigned to you if you are the only reserve holder that matches the length of the pairing.

• If there are more than one CCMs holding the same number of days, the one with more seniority has the right to decline and the most junior must accept.

• When CS calls the most senior and they don’t answer immediately, they will continue calling the next res holder until the pairing is assigned. However, CCMs must return a call from CS within 15 minutes of the initial call or will be coded as “No Show”

Airport standby reserve (ASR):
While there is no change to how airport standby reserve functions, the assignment process will change starting March 2 to be based on seniority in accordance with 35-3.14.

Things to keep in mind:

• If you have been assigned ASR, you are required to report at the airport of your base as before and remain at the airport, ready to respond within 10 minutes of CS contacting you and able to be at the gate in a reasonable time. Ensure to let CS know when you arrive at the airport.

• The duty period will begin at the required Airport Standby Reserve Report Time.

35-4.02 An ASR period will be for a maximum of five (5) consecutive hours which must begin within the scheduled Reserve Period
Example: You are on AM Reserve (0300 LBT) and being assigned an Airport Standby Reserve to begin at 7AM. The start of your duty period starts at 7AM and ends at 12 NOON, not from 3 AM scheduled reserve period. This also applies to duty time and duty extensions for that particular duty day.

• Be mindful of the 18-hour duty limit from the start of the reserve period to release at end of day.

• Assignment may be made to a flight departing within the ASR period or no later than two (2) hour after the ASR period. If no assignment is made by the end of the ASR period, the Reserve Holder will be released for a rest period.

• There will be no more than 2 ASR per res block unless the CCMs agrees with more

• If a pairing is not assigned, the CCM will receive 4 hours credit.

Mostly important notes to take away if you are unsure of how this implementation works:

1. Know your Collective Agreement and your responsibilities

1. Be respectful with CS and your DPM

1. Take the pairing and grieve later

• Contact your DPM and seek for guidance (via email using your company/Westjet email or give them a call)

• Have the following information with you:

• Pairing date and pairing number

• Number of days assigned

• Name of the Crew Scheduler (make sure to ask whom you are speaking with when taking a call)

• Date and time of call

If you have further clarification regarding Scheduling, please email: wr.src@cupe4070.ca.

If you have further clarification regarding your Collective Agreement, email your base VP using your personal email: https://www.cupe4070.ca/contact


In Solidarity,
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia

WestJet Encore - Master Seniority List (MSL)

Dear WestJet Encore Members,

Your Union would like to inform you that the MSL is now located in our Member Portal, as well as your CCD. If you have not created a profile on the Union website, you can find the instructions HERE.

The MSL is attached and can be accessed by clicking HERE.

As per the Collective Agreement Article:

15-2.01, The Company shall maintain a Master Seniority List (MSL) for Cabin Crew Members. The MSL shall be published every four (4) months per calendar year, with a copy to the union. The MSL shall be posted electronically on the Company Intranet and on Cabin Crew Devices (CCD) and shall remain there until replaced by an updated list.  

15-2.02, The MSL shall show the seniority by name, base and date of seniority of all Cabin Crew Members employed by the Company.  

15-2.03, The Parties agree to review and discuss finalizing the MSL within ninety (90) Calendar Days of the effective date of this Agreement.  

Implementation – March 2022 

34-24 DRAFTING  

NOTE: Effective the third full monthly scheduling period following the finalization of the Master Seniority List

34-24.01 Both the Company and the Union are committed to not cancelling flights due to lack of Cabin Crew Members. In keeping with this commitment, a draft shall be considered as an option of last resort.  

34-24.02 If the Company has exhausted the available options to cover a Company open time pairing, the Company shall draft a Cabin Crew Member who is on a Day(s) Off for the pairing. In such circumstances, the Company shall draft a Cabin Crew Member in reverse seniority order by base.  

34-24.03 Prior to any Cabin Crew Member being drafted for a pairing, the following call-out order shall be used by Crew Scheduling:  

a) Cabin Crew Member on RTD status;  

b) Cabin Crew Members holding reserve duty;  

c) Electronically post the pairing to Company open time for voluntary pick up. 

34-24.04 No Cabin Crew Member will be drafted more than three (3) times in a calendar year.  

34-24.05 A Cabin Crew Member will not be drafted on a GDO.  

34-24.06 If a Cabin Crew Member is drafted for a pairing, the Cabin Crew Member shall receive premium pay at two (2) times the Cabin Crew Member’s regular rate of pay in accordance with Article 41 – Pay Administration. 

35-3.14 Pairing Assignment Process 

NOTE: Effective no later than the third full monthly scheduling period following the finalization of the Master Seniority List 

a) When a pairing is assigned to a Reserve Holder, assignments will be made to the Reserve Holder with the number of available Reserve Periods remaining exactly matching the length of the available pairing. 

b) If two (2) or more Reserve Holders meet the criteria of 35-3.14 a) above, the more senior Reserve Holder will have the right to decline the assignment when more junior Reserve Holders are available. The most junior qualified Reserve Holder must accept the duty assignment. Where the Company contacts the more senior Reserve Holder and the senior Reserve Holder does not immediately answer the call, the Company shall contact the next Reserve Holder until the pairing is assigned. 

c) If there are no Reserve Holders with the number of available Reserve Periods remaining exactly matching the length of the pairing as outlined in 35-3.14 a) above, the Company will assign the pairing to a Reserve Holder with a number of available Reserve Periods remaining which is one (1) Reserve Period greater than the length of the available pairing. The Company will continue to increase by one (1) Reserve Period until they are able to assign the pairing following the pairing assignment process outlined in 35-3.14 a) and b) above. 

35-4 AIRPORT STANDBY RESERVE (ASR) 

35-4.01 A Reserve Holder assigned an ASR period will be required to report to the airport at their base to remain on standby for possible pairing assignment. The Cabin Crew Member must remain in the airport during the ASR period, must respond to the Company within ten (10) minutes of the Company initially contacting the Reserve Holder, and must be able to report to the required gate in a reasonable amount of time. The duty period will begin at the required ASR Report Time.  

35-4.02 An ASR period will be for a maximum of five (5) consecutive hours which must begin within the scheduled Reserve Period. Assignment may be made to a flight departing within the ASR period or no later than two (2) hour after the ASR period. If no assignment is made by the end of the ASR period, the Reserve Holder will be released for a rest period. There shall be no more than two (2) ASR periods per Reserve Block, without the consent of the Reserve Holder.

35-4.03 If a Reserve Holder on ASR is not assigned a pairing, they shall receive four (4) Credit Hours towards their MMG for that ASR period.  

35-4.04 ASR will be assigned to a Reserve Holder in accordance with 35-3.14 above 


Layoff and recall 

In the event we announce any future recalls or layoffs, the finalized MSL will be utilized. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Interim President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice-President, Brigitte Benoit
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP. Brandy Whitby
Interim WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Black History Month 2022 - 2

Hello Colleagues,

As we make our way through February, Black History Month, we continue to celebrate and honor the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. Black History Month also provides us with an invaluable opportunity to take the time to better understand how we as individuals and Cabin Crew Members can learn to everyday honour, uplift and respect the voices and lives of all Black people within our communities and workplace.

Throughout the month we have taken the time to get to know some of our local CUPE 4070 Black members and engaged with them in discussions about their experiences on the line. Our intention in doing so was to highlight something that each one of us can do every day to lend our support to Black people. So, we asked our Black CUPE 4070 members to share with us questions, comments or assumptions that have been directed at them that were hurtful or upsetting?

What follows is a list of some of the responses we received from our Black CCMs:

• Can I touch your hair?  

• Is that your hair real? 

• Is English your first language?  

• Where are you from?  

• Did you grow up in Canada?  

• You look so exotic 

Each of these questions, comments, or assumptions can be classified as ‘microaggressions’. The definition of a microaggression is: the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups. Understanding what microaggressions are and the impact they can have on those they are directed towards is an important teaching moment for each and every one of us about how we can more respectfully communicate with and honor Black persons. 

There are a number of great resources available to help understand microaggressions and how we can avoid and learn from them.  We have included the links to three such articles below:

• https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2021/10/22/50-things-not-to-say-to-black-people/https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2021/10/22/50-things-not-to-say-to-black-people/

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/culturally-speaking/202005/you-ve-committed-microaggression-now-what

  
More information on microaggressions are also highlighted in the videos provided below:  

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE7FqMXWvUw

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq4OM5EUOsc

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSyqOGxkIeQ

 
We sincerely hope that Black History Month be a time of reflection, listening, and learning as we move towards greater solidarity with Black people, Black communities, and our fellow Black crew members. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Committee Against Racism and Discrimination (CARD)

Ottawa Layovers - Update #1

Dear Members,

The Company has informed the Union that with the announcement that the Emergencies Act being revoked, this may cause uncertainty of what is going to happen in the YOW downtown core. They have made the decision to relocate our crew scheduled to overnight in downtown Ottawa once again for the safety of our crew and to protect the operation.

Currently, only WS crew are impacted as there are no long stay overnights scheduled for Encore during these dates.

The Company will re-evaluate this again on Monday morning and hopefully, we can resume YOW downtown overnights as of March 1.


In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Hotel and Transportation Committee

Seniority Bidding Update #1

Dear WestJet Members,

The Scheduling Review Committee (SRC) met with the Company again today, February 16, 2022, to finalize the rollout strategy surrounding seniority bidding.

The Union and the Company are working as a joint committee to deliver educational tools, and information to you, our Members. Please stand by for more information coming from the Company on February 23, 2022!

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Scheduling Review Committee

48-HOUR REMINDER: Recall Notice - (WR) WestJet Encore Members - FINAL RECALL NOTICE

Dear Members,

This is a 48-hour reminder of the final recall notice for WestJet Encore YYZ Based Members currently on furlough; effective April 1, 2022. The Company sent these recall notices out on February 10, 2022. This recall will end on February 17, 2022.

This recall will see: 
- All remaining WR YYZ-based Cabin Crew Members. 
 

THIS IS THE FINAL RECALL NOTICE. ANY MEMBER WHO DOES NOT RESPOND TO OR DECLINES THIS RECALL WILL NO LONGER BE EMPLOYED BY THE COMPANY 
 

Please contact the Union should you have further questions via our contact link: www.cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team