Local News

Calvin Gautschi 2023-04-04 Calvin Gautschi 2023-04-04

Townhall TODAY-April 4th, 2023

Town Hall -TODAY
April 4th, 2023

Dear Members,

We would like to remind you to register for the general Townhall, TODAY on April 4th 2023, at 10:00PT/11:00MT/13:00ET. You can find the registration page link here. Please note: You will have to log-in to the CUPE Members portal to access the link. Click on 'Events' or 'Events Sign Up' buttons once logged in.

The objective for this Town Hall is to have open and honest dialogue with everyone and to answer any questions members may have or address any rumours out there on the line.

While the meeting itself will have structure the goal is to keep it informal. Questions can be submitted via the submission form under the sign-up link on the members townhall page or you can find the submission form link here.

**When you join the meeting, ensure it displays your name. If you do not display your name, you will not be granted entry into the meeting.**

We look forward to seeing you there today!

Calvin Gautschi 2023-04-03 Calvin Gautschi 2023-04-03

April 2023 Newsletter

Topics in this Newsletter:

CUPE 4070 President Updates
Townhall April 4th (TOMORROW!!!)
CUPE Wins (NRT Per Diem & ACM Single Leg Partials)
April Elections
Updates
Galley Gossip

CUPE 4070 President Update

Updates from inside the union;

Recently we met with Swoop leadership to discuss including SWOOP STBY travel in our ACM benefits to help support our commuters. The WO group advised that they do not recognize commuting or commuters and therefore have no policy. As a result – they would be unable to participate in the ACM program. We will continue to look for ways to support our commuters. If you have any suggestions, please send an email to the Commuter Committee.

Day of Action: April 25th is coming quickly. Please stay tuned if you have signed up for an email for more information on our day of action. Please be advised we are not to attend in our uniforms. We are bound by a Collective agreement that is currently in full force and effect. Unlike our Pilots who are actively engaged in Collective bargaining. Attending in Uniform can expose a member to potential discipline.

AMFA (Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association) has unionized Westjet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and skilled trades group on March 30th 2023. You can view the article here.

Upcoming elections: We have several positions open and I encourage everyone to consider running for a role. It is important to note that most roles are not compensated and operate on a voluntary basis. We unfortunately are too young of a union to offer paid positions for most of our committees. Committees which are joint have some compensation associated with it but also have a high degree of volunteerism.

Alia Hussain

CUPE 4070 President

Townhall April 4th

Want to know what happens if the Pilots strike? Do we get paid? Want to ask the executives a question?

Please join us in the townhall April 4th, open to all CUPE 4070 members. Sign up here.

**Please note when you log into the meeting, your name must be visible. If your first and last name is not visible, we do not know who you are and you will not be let into the meeting.**

CUPE WINS

NRT Per Diem

CUPE brought forward to WS that NRT per diem is not properly covered under the CA 41-11, as the intercontinental rate of $5.65CAD/hour was not reflective of how expensive NRT is.

Your Union was able to get the Company to agree to the highest per diem we currently have in the Collective Agreement at the $6.37CAD/hour (the UK/Ireland per diem rate).

ACM Single Leg Partial

Cabin Personnel who enrolled in the ACM program between February 2, 2021, and January 31, 2023, and remain in the ACM program will have a one-time opportunity to fill out the WS form to become eligible to complete single-leg partial Shift Trades in accordance with Article 38-5 of the Collective Agreement. Please visit WS's communication for full details.

April Elections

Election time has arrived again.
Only Members in Good Standing are permitted to run for positions and only Members in Good Standing can vote in elections.
If you wish to become a Member in Good standing, please fill out the application here. As per the process in our By-laws section 3, the process would not be complete in time for this election if you are apply just now, but could be for future elections depending on when you apply.
Final approval for becoming a Member in Good Standing is done at the next GMM. GMMs are held every May and November.

An election email will be sent out April 6th with details on nominating and which positions are available.

The following is an outline for Elections April 2023:
Nominations Open:
April 6, 2023 at 03:00PT / 04:00MT / 06:00ET
Nominations Close:
April 13, 2023 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
Nomination Acceptance Due:
April 19, 2023 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
Resume/Info Sheet Due:
April 21, 2023 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
First Round Election Start:
April 25, 2023 at 03:00PT / 04:00MT / 06:00ET
First Round Election End:
May 1, 2023 at 15:00PT / 16:00MT / 18:00ET

Updates

CUPE 4070 is missing about 700 of our members contact information. Please log into the website here to find out if you or someone you know is on the list. Click on the scrolling banner once logged in.

If you need to update your information, please click here

Please click here for the WS SRC update

Please visit our CUPE4070 Events Page to see upcoming events and to sign up. Townhalls, GMM and National Day of Action for Unpaid Work etc.

We have been made aware there was a glitch in the Commuter Form. If you submitted via the form and have not heard back and its been a while, please submit again, as it may not have been received.

We have been working to update the website and make it easier to use. If you have suggestions please click here.

Galley Gossip

(Visit the Galley Gossip Wall on our website to see previous submissions and answers)

Galley Gossip: People are talking that we all will have to submit a base bid soon. That currently the pilots are, but CCMs will be required to as well. Is this true? If so, does this mean you could be “bumped” from your current base?

Answer: A base bid came out after this submission. So a CCM base bid was true to happen. Base bids happen a minimum of twice per year. Vacancy (base) bids follow WO/WR/WS CA 24-2 occurring a minimum of two times per year.
Bumping only occurs as per WR/WS CA 47-4 & WO CA 45-4, in a layoff situation, not for normal base bids.

Galley Gossip: What happens to us if the pilots go on strike?

If there is an ALPA Pilot Strike what would that mean in terms for our CCM CUPE4070 members regarding pay?

CUPE4070 might not be on strike, are we pay protected by WestJet then? Even if we refuse to cross the Pilots picket line?!!!

Answer: This is being addressed in the Townhall on April 4th. Please sign up and join, it is open to all CUPE members. The recording will be posted afterwards. See above in this newsletter on links to sign up for this Townhall and other events.

On behalf of your Local 4070 Executives:

CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Vice President, Charles Brochu
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Calvin Gautschi
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev

Swoop Base VP, Sherrie Moore
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj

Calvin Gautschi 2023-04-02 Calvin Gautschi 2023-04-02

Gossip, Rumours & Galley Talk

Hello Members,

As of March 31, 2023, you will have seen a communication shared by the Inflight Leadership Team about gossip in the workplace. This is a topic that your Union also takes very seriously.

We have received a variety of reports from our members regarding this situation and the toxicity it is creating in our workplace.

We ask that our members please help us in the fight against gossip and rumours. Remember the Code of Business Conduct that we all read and signed off on when we started here at Swoop and review annually. Help create professional and respectful work environments.

Refrain from engaging in or perpetuating harmful gossip and rumours. If someone starts to share gossip, ask them to stop.

As well, keep in mind the Confidentiality Statement. This includes refraining from telling people that you have meetings with management or sharing what the meetings was about.

Breaching either the Confidentiality Statement or the Code of Business Conduct may result in discipline from the company up to and including termination.

Additionally please also review CUPE's Code of Conduct and CUPE's Equality Statement.

We appreciate your help in eliminating gossip and rumours in the workplace, and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-30 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-30

ALPA Information Picket

Dear Members of CUPE Local 4070,

I am writing to inform you of an upcoming event that may be of interest to you. On March 31, 2023, the Pilots of WestJet members of ALPA will be holding an information picket at the WestJet Campus in Calgary. It will be a display with their Pilots’ group signage in uniform as they stand in Silence.

As members of a union, it is important that we stand in solidarity with our fellow unionized workers in their efforts to improve their working conditions.

We are encouraging members to attend either: The rally at 9:30AM at the Airport Marriot Hotel or at 1:30PM when they head back for a post rally.

If you attend, please ensure you are NOT in uniform.

It is essential as union members, that we stand together in times like these to support each other and send a strong message of solidarity to the employer.

As a collective group we have greater bargaining power when we come together! By showing our support for the pilots, we are also sending a message to the employer that we are united in our fight for better working conditions and treatment for all.

Attending the rally is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the issues affecting our fellow unionized workers and how we can work together to improve our own working conditions. It is also an opportunity to connect with other union members and build a sense of community within our workplace.

We encourage all members of CUPE Local 4070 who are on a day off and out of uniform to attend the rally on March 31, 2023, and stand in solidarity with our fellow unionized workers at WestJet. Let us continue to fight for better working conditions and treatment for all.

In Solidarity,

Alia Hussain, President

CUPE Local 4070

WestJet, WestJet Encore, Swoop Flight Attendants

On behalf of CUPE Local 4070 Executive

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-28 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-28

Townhall-April 4, 2023

Town Hall - April 4th, 2023

Dear Members,

We would like to remind you to register for the general Town Hall on April 4th 2023, at 10:00PT/11:00MT/13:00ET. You can find the registration page link here. Please note: You will have to log-in to the CUPE Members portal to access the link. (See below)

The objective for this Town Hall is to have open and honest dialogue with everyone and to answer any questions members may have or address any rumours out there on the line.

While the meeting itself will have structure the goal is to keep it informal. Questions can be submitted via the submission form under the sign-up link on the members townhall page or you can find the submission form link here.

If you are having trouble with the questions submission form, please send your questions to the YVR Base VP Chris Brewer at chris.brewer@cupe4070.ca

We look forward to seeing you there next week!

Sincerely,

In Solidarity,

Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Charles Brochu
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Calvin Gautschi
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Vacant
Swoop Base VP, Sherrie Moore

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-26 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-26

Goodbye Letter

Dear YYZ Encore Members,

First, I would like to thank you all for the faith you had in me for the last two and a half years. I finally took the opportunity to flow and just completed initial. It was hard but as an Encorian, we have faced harder times.

It has not only been my pleasure, but my privilege also to serve you during that time. We went through so many things together, a new agreement, a deadly virus, lay offs, vaccines, uncertainty and so much more.
From the moment I accepted the position, I was looking forward to the time when I could just learn my position and do my job without so many curve balls thrown at us. Let me tell you, I was wrong. Even though COVID might be a memory for many, we continue facing adversity.

We ask ourselves, what is going to happen to WR YYZ? Is WestJet Encore going to disappear? What is going to happen with my position? My years at WestJet Encore, at WestJet?

I guess we would have to wait and see. Have faith that the future will be bright, and believe in our Company. Regardless, there is so much we can do. Yes, Us, You, and Me.

I might not be the Base VP for WR YYZ anymore, but I am still a Member and bottom line, Members are the force of this Local. There is no one more important than our Members, but it is our responsibility to look after ourselves.

Get involved, participate, and act. There will be elections for different positions coming up soon, including WR YYZ Base VP (in April). This is your time to raise your voice, to make a difference.

I might be flowing now and starting a new chapter in my life, a chapter that many of you will follow soon, but it does not mean that I will be gone. I believe in being involved. I believe that the only way we can make a difference is being part of the solution.

There are many roles on our Local any of you can take part of. Try it, go for it, raise your voice, and participate in any way you can.

Thank you so much for your trust, your friendship, for every moment we spent together, either flying or during any interaction we had as a Union Rep. Thank you for making me see things from your point of view, we all are so different and sometimes we forget we are. Thank you for all you taught me, as I learned more from you than anything I would ever able to explain to you.

This has been one of the most humbling experiences in my life. I cannot wait to see you once again, either working together as we did before or serving you a gassy diet coke 40,000 feet up in the sky, where our hearts belong.

Mauricio Mejia

WR YYZ Base Vice-President (Former)

UPCOMING ELECTIONS

Coming soon, at the beginning of April, there will be a communication with details on the upcoming election. This is your chance to get involved and to be part of the change. There will be several roles open, from WR YYZ Base VP, Stewards, and Committees.

Your participation keeps Local 4070 running and furthers improving our work lives.

If you have any questions please contact a CUPE Rep here

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-23 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-23

Vote Result for Non-Monetary Amendments

Dear WS 4070 Members,

The results are in for the proposed Non-Monetary amendments.
Thank you to everyone who participated.

The vote has now concluded, and the Non-Monetary Amendments MOA was defeated.
No: 476 (51.7%)
Yes: 445 (48.3%)
Total Voters 921 (37.4%) of 2465

On behalf of your Local 4070 Executives:
CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Vice President, Charles Brochu
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Calvin Gautschi
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Vacant
Swoop Base VP, Sherrie Moore

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-17 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-17

Non-Monetary Amendments

Dear WS 4070 Members,

On March 17, 2023 we had a Townhall specifically for the discussion of the proposed non-monetary amendments MOA (Article 8-1.05).

The Parties acknowledge that due to this being a first collective agreement, there may be instances in which the Parties need to review and amend language in this Agreement. It is also understood that any amendments must be with the agreement of both Parties and shall be of ‘net-zero’ financial cost to the Company. In September of each year, either Party may request a meeting to discuss issues as pursuant to this Article.

Please review the proposed Non Monetary Amendments MOA here.

The vote has been sent out, and is open to Members in Good Standing. The video is will be uploaded today to our CUPE website here. **Note it is not posted just yet.**

To know how to become a Member in Good standing please review the Bylaws as well as the article in January 2023's Newsletter.

If you wish to become a Member in Good Standing, please sign a card and pay the $5 Membership fee (if you haven't already), this will begin the process and is completed at the next General Membership Meeting (GMM). SIGN A CARD HERE

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-14 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-14

Hotel & Transportation Committee Update

Hi everyone,
The Hotel & Transportation Committee is committed to sharing updates more frequently with the Local to be more transparent, provide detail and quell rumours that may circulate.

One of the most common questions we receive is, “Why can’t we stay at that hotel in that city?”
The hotels selected for our layovers go through an intense review and selection process that the Committee participates in. First, a hotel will place a bid and express interest in our business. Availability of rooms, locations, distance and other criteria are considered when we arrive at what options are viable in each city. Availability of rooms is one of the challenges we face, as properties with availability for crews becomes harder to find with travel and tourism levels increasing. Hotels are not always able or willing to provide us with the number of rooms we need. This is especially challenging in smaller cities with less options.

After the hotels have placed their bids, the options are reviewed and we conduct site visits with the company. Our team continuously works in collaboration with TAConnections (previously known as Travelliance) and Crew Accommodations to ensure we source the best partners in the cities that we serve to meet our Members needs.

Recent Hotel Changes:
CANCUN
The Grand Fiesta is a perfect example of a hotel that no longer wished to cater to the airlines, and our contract expired last year. Our current short stay hotel, the Marriott Cancun, is also about to close for an extensive renovation and rebranding. As you may be aware, our new hotel is the Emporio and all scheduled layovers will be assigned to this hotel from March onwards until further notice.
Our Committee worked with the Company to find a hotel that could provide an all-inclusive food plan, which was based on consistent complaints with Cancun customs regulations and the strict rules regarding food with Crew Members. If you need food for your return flight, the gift shop by the front desk has to-go options or you can purchase something at the airport. Please continue to report any concerns to both us and Crew Accommodations.

ORLANDO
Our new long stay hotel in Orlando is the Courtyard Lake Buena Vista, located in Marriott Village. The decision to move to this hotel was due to concerns about The Florida Hotel being somewhat isolated for longer layovers. This new hotel has a large gym, multiple food options on-site or nearby, and shuttle service to Orlando attractions and the outlet mall. Crew Accommodations was also able to procure enough rooms so that we could extend the long stay cut off in MCO. Under most circumstances (room count dependent), crews will be at this hotel on layovers starting at 16 hours as opposed to 18. Our short stay hotel remains the same.

TAMPA
We sourced this market in January and found some interesting challenges. Tampa is the closest major city to Fort Myers, which suffered hurricane destruction and therefore is housing workers involved in the rebuilding. With low room availability (options) and the fact that these layovers will only be on weekends in March and April, the mutual decision was made to negotiate with hotels by the airport despite some overnights slightly exceeding 18 hours. You can expect an announcement regarding the hotel shortly and we will re-visit the decision regarding the location should layovers become more common in the future.

We anticipate another update in late spring regarding our European hotels as well as Tokyo.
We appreciate your engagement with our committee and continue to ask that you send in reports both good and bad through the Crew Connex app for tracking and trending.

Your CUPE 4070 Hotel and Transportation Committee (hotels@cupe4070.ca)
Ryan Jones – YYZ representative (ryan.jones@cupe4070.ca)
Tyler Thomas – YVR representative (tyler.thomas@cupe4070.ca)
Douglas Rotchell – YYC representative (douglas.rotchell@cupe4070.ca)

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-10 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-10

Sunwing Update

Good day,

The Company just met with all labor groups, advising that they expect the government will announce shortly today that the next step for regulatory approval of acquisition will be granted. There are still other steps that must be completed before the acquisition is final. It is anticipated that all steps will be completed in the next few weeks.

The acquisition is for ‘hardware and software’. Meaning that it is for Sunwing Airlines, SelloffVacations, Sunwing Vacation, Vacation Express, all related equipment and the Employees.

CUPE has no further information on this, as this transaction is still not completed. However, the Employer has committed to meet with us and keep us up to date as matters progress.

When asked, the Company did not commit to any further details on the merger acquisition, as it is not finalized yet.

The Union is committed to providing updates as they become available.

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-10 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-10

March 2023 Newsletter

Topics in this Newsletter:

CUPE 4070 President Updates
Women's History Month
Workplace Harassment and Violence
CUPE 4070 Initiation Fee
Updates
Galley Gossip

CUPE 4070 President Update

Good day,

The past month has been a fairly busy one. Some notable updates.

MOA Seniority Scheduling: We have met with the Employer to continue our discussions on Seniority Scheduling as shared by Greg in his Update of February 27th, 2023. Greg shared this would be well received by the Union. Unfortunately, it was not well received and it gave rise to even greater concerns for the Union. We are currently working on our pass-back to the Company and commit to keeping our membership updated.
Executive Training and Development: This month the Executive Team met for the first time since Covid first began for an in-person Training Event in Kelowna. This is the first step of our strategic planning, which is to educate and develop your elected Executive Officers to ensure a baseline of knowledge and skill within the Local. As a young Union, the learning curve is steep, and we are committed to continuous learning seminars and courses for our group. Improving our internal processes and providing more communication with the membership are two of our objectives for this year. If you are interested in taking any Union Courses please click here.
April 25th, 2023. Day of Action- Paid for Duty. Unpaid work in our Industry is a systemic concern impacting all Flight Attendants in Canada. We will be gathering together for a day of Action - If you are passionate about being paid for the hours you are at work- please consider signing up. We will be handing out some cool swag that will reflect our commitment to our cause. More details to come. Please sign up here.
Potential Pilot Strike- We stand in solidarity with the Pilots group. We have engaged in conversations with our counterparts and they have committed to open and timely communication. Please take a moment to review the process the Pilots are currently engaged in and the next possible steps. Click here. It's important to also note, we have sections of the Collective Agreement that cover possible strike action by another group 47-3 LAYOFF. This is a very fluid situation and your Union is committed to providing updates to our group during this time.
Flight Attendant Reciprocal Cabin Seat Agreement: At the Union level we have been working within our Airline Division to establish this. It's important to note however this decision to pursue this rests with each respective company. A quick update: we are disappointed to share that Air Canada has declined participation at this time. Air Transat is currently in discussions with the company, along with a few other eastern airlines, and we have requested that Porter be pursued.

Alia Hussain

CUPE 4070 President

Women's History Month

Women's History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and society.

We want to thank and recognize all Women for everything they do. Below is our three CUPE 4070 Executives. Thank you Alia, Brandy and Sherrie for all your contributions to the Local.

Workplace Harassment & Violence

Everyone deserves a work environment free of harassment and violence. As Cabin Personnel we work with hundreds of guests, ground crew, flight crew, fellow cabin personnel, hotel staff, and others that we come across. It is no doubt that we have a challenging work environment. We rely on each other and are also responsible for maintaining and promoting a harassment free, violence free, workplace. If you encounter harassment or violence in the workplace, support is available to you. Please contact your Base VP who can support and guide you through the resources and processes available to you.

CUPE 4070 Initiation Fee

CUPE 4070 requires a $5 initiation fee in order to become a Member in Good Standing.
The initiation fee is mandatory to become a Member in Good Standing as per CUPE Nationals Constitution B.4.1 (and it is required to be between $1-$10) and our Local’s Bylaws section 10 (we made ours $5). Every new Member in Good Standing application CUPE 4070 will have to pay National $1 (National Constitution 14.1(f)). As well as per every Units (WO, WR, WS) Collective Agreements 4-1.03 state that every new hire after the Collective Agreement ratification dates, the Employer will deduct the initiation fee from the paycheck. Please review all these documents.
As all 3 Units fall under the same Local, we do not require a second initiation fee when someone flows.

During an audit, I discovered that WR and WO were compliant but WS was not with CA 4-1.03 for all of 2022.
WS had mistakenly not taken off the fee for any new hires completing initial for WS in 2022.
I provided WS with a list for those who flowed and who should or should not have the deduction.

WS was going to deduct this February 28th pay period. They were to inform members prior about the deduction but did not until afterwards.
WS also did not use my list fully and deducted the initiation fee from some Members on my list to not deduct.
WS is in the process of rectifying this and will be doing refunds on the March 15 paycheck. Please contact me here if you were charged in error and have not been contacted about a refund.

Calvin Gautschi
Recording Secretary

Updates

Elections are coming in April. Dates will be announced in April’s Newsletter. Jael Gosselin has been appointed as the Electoral Officer. Thank you to our previous Electoral Officer, Tara Keeping, for your time and dedication in the role.

We encourage you to engage in the elections. Members in Good Standing can be nominated and vote in elections. For Local 4070 to operate it takes all of us to participate. If you are not currently a Member in Good Standing and wish to begin the process, please click here.

As the opening of WS YEG base is nearing, Chris Brewer our current WS YVR Base VP will add WS YEG Base VP to his portfolio. We would like to thank Chris for stepping up and taking on the opening of the YEG Base, as opening of a base is not covered under our Bylaws.

Please visit our CUPE4070 Events Page to see upcoming events. Townhalls, GMM and National Day of Action for Unpaid Work etc.

With the new process in WS YYZ, for Pilots leaving the aircraft, please ensure to submit IHRs to the Company and fill out our form for CUPE OSH. This can also be found in the forms section on our website.

As of Feb.24th there has been only 3 submissions!! We need your feedback and WS needs to hear your feedback as well.

Galley Gossip

(Visit the Galley Gossip Wall on our website to see previous submissions and answers)

Galley Gossip: Which articles is CUPE planning to improve on the next agreement, how and when will they do so?

Answer: During bargaining the entire contract is open. Surveys are sent to the members as well as data collected over the years, are used to determine what will be bargained and focused on.

Galley Gossip: With all the chaos that we have all been experiencing in December it would be very beneficial to have a tutorial to understand Rainmaker so that we can make sure that we are being paid properly.

Answer: Sharepoint has a user guides & tutorials, Q&A/FAQ and a spot to submit questions. Click here

Galley Gossip: I’ve heard from multiple people and many times over the past year that in Wings, that there is a known bug that when you select AVOID Ie one days, that it assigns you only one days. the only reason I’m asking for clarification is, every time I use AVOID all I get is ONE days.

Answer: There is no bugs with the ‘Avoid’ feature. Like all bids, it is dependent on seniority, what others are bidding and scheduling rules/global solve. If you have concerns, please reach out to your SRC (Scheduling Review Committee).

Galley Gossip: Why can’t Encore keep their seniority for monthly bidding once they flow? Why has CUPE not fought for their “Good Standing Members” to have career growth opportunities at WestJet rather than turning it into sacrifices?

Answer: Each Bargaining Unit (WO, WR, WS) has their own CA (Collective Agreement). Each CA’s direction is determined through what their specific membership desired and what was expressed via bargaining surveys sent to them. As per WS CA 15, seniority starts after successful completion of initial class.

Galley Gossip: Rumour I keep hearing is that we're going to be adding more seats to the 737s, to bring the capacity in line with the Sunwing aircraft, around 189 seats. Potentially removing premium cabin from 737s to accomplish this.

Answer: The Employer advised us “We have no known knowledge regarding cabin configurations in relation to Sunwing as this acquisition has not been approved yet”

Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-01 Calvin Gautschi 2023-03-01

National Day of Action to End Unpaid Work

National Day of Action to End Unpaid Work

Earlier this year many of the Airline Division Flight Attendants filled out a CUPE survey telling us how concerned they are about the rampant and unjust use of unpaid work in the airline sector. Whether it’s a lack of pay for boarding, deplaning, or pre-flight duties, it’s time to fight back to ensure that when flight attendants are at work, in uniform, performing their work duties – they’re being paid.

CUPE’s Airline Division, on behalf of our 18,500 flight attendant members, is organizing a National Day of Action to End Unpaid Work in the airline sector on April 25, 2023.

RSVP and let us know if you want to get more involved here.

This will be the start to a movement to be heard, to demonstrate to the public and our employers we need action on this.

The public hears us, when you talk to them during boarding, or when you’re assisting with seat assignments, checking emergency equipment, walking them to their gate as you go to yours, or assisting with special requests before boarding, and prepping your galleys they are amazed this is done with no compensation.

Together, we can work to put stop to this unfair practice and ensure everyone gets paid for time they are required to be at work. Please sign up if you will be off and willing to assist in the day of action, sign up to stay up to date with this campaign.

In solidarity,

Wesley Lesosky
President, CUPE Airline Division

Journée nationale d'action pour mettre fin au travail non rémunéré

Plus tôt cette année, de nombreux agents de bord de la division aérienne ont répondu à un sondage du SCFP pour nous dire à quel point ils sont préoccupés par l'utilisation répandue et injuste du travail non rémunéré dans le secteur aérien. Qu'il s'agisse d'un manque de rémunération pour l'embarquement, le débarquement ou les tâches pré-vol, il est temps de se battre pour s'assurer que lorsque les agents de bord sont au travail, en uniforme, et qu'ils effectuent leurs tâches, ils sont rémunérés.

La division aérienne du SCFP, au nom de nos 18 500 membres agents de bord, organise une journée nationale d'action pour mettre fin au travail non rémunéré dans le secteur aérien le 25 avril 2023.

RSVP et faites-nous savoir si vous souhaitez vous impliquer davantage ici.

Ce sera le début d'un mouvement pour se faire entendre, pour démontrer au public et à nos employeurs que nous devons agir dans ce domaine.

Le public nous entend, lorsque vous leur parlez pendant l'embarquement, ou lorsque vous les aidez à attribuer les sièges, à vérifier les équipements d'urgence, à les accompagner à leur porte d'embarquement pendant que vous vous rendez à la vôtre, ou à répondre à des demandes spéciales avant l'embarquement, et à préparer vos cuisines, ils sont stupéfaits que cela soit fait sans aucune compensation.

Ensemble, nous pouvons mettre un terme à cette pratique injuste et faire en sorte que chacun soit payé pour le temps où il doit être présent au travail. Veuillez vous inscrire si vous êtes absent et prêt à participer à la journée d'action, inscrivez-vous pour rester au courant de cette campagne.

Solidairement,
Wesley Lesosky
Président, Division Aérienne du SCFP

Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-15 Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-15

February 2023 Newsletter

Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-08 Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-08

Pilots Leaving the Aircraft Trial

Pilots Leaving The Aircraft Trial February 2023

Dear Members of CUPE 4070,

The Employer has advised us that it will be conducting a trial for WS YYZ 737 only, starting in February.
This trial will permit Pilots to leave the aircraft under certain parameters in order to mitigate any operational impacts due to impacted Pilots’ rest.

Please review the communication released by the Employer. The position of the Union is that we do not agree with this procedural change. The Employer has the right to do this with TC’s approval though.

Your Occupational Health and Safety Committee has been engaged in discussions with the Company on this topic since summer 2022. Participating in and completing a risk assessment and raising extensive concerns about this practice. The Committee continues to express their reservations regarding the implementation of this policy.

While this is being introduced and rolled out as a trial in YYZ for 737 transborder and international operations only, the company has stated their intention for further expansion, up to and including companywide.

For any clarification on the bulletin please reach out to your Inflight Leader and cc the Occupational Health and Safety Committee (ws.ohs@cupe4070.ca).

Please ensure to submit IHRs for any concerns you experience. If we do not report our concerns regarding this trial and change, the Employer deems it to be a successful trial and an acceptable change and practice to implement. Continue to follow the procedures as laid out by the Company and use correct avenues when requesting assistance from the CSA.

The Union would also like to collect data from you related to this trial. Please fill out this form for the OHS Committee: https://www.cupe4070.ca/pilots-leaving-aircraft

To connect with your Base VP please use the contact form: 

https://www.cupe4070.ca/contact

On behalf of your CUPE Local 4070 Executive and OHS Committee

Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-08 Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-08

Non-Monetary Amendments Townhall

Non-Monetary Amendments Townhall March 17, 2023

Dear 4070 Members,

On March 17, 2023 at 10:00PT/11:00MT/13:00ET there will be a Townhall specifically for the discussion of the proposed non-monetary amendments MOA (Article 8-1.05).

The Parties acknowledge that due to this being a first collective agreement, there may be instances in which the Parties need to review and amend language in this Agreement. It is also understood that any amendments must be with the agreement of both Parties and shall be of ‘net-zero’ financial cost to the Company. In September of each year, either Party may request a meeting to discuss issues as pursuant to this Article.

Please review the proposed Non Monetary Amendments MOA here.

To sign up and to vote, you must be a Member in Good Standing, which will be verified. Voting will be from March 17th to March 24th. Please use this link to Sign Up.

To know how to become a Member in Good standing please review the Bylaws as well as the article in January 2023's Newsletter.

If you wish to become a Member in Good Standing, please sign a card and pay the $5 Membership fee (if you haven't already), this will begin the process and is completed at the next General Membership Meeting (GMM). SIGN A CARD HERE

Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-02 Calvin Gautschi 2023-02-02

LOU #8 Layoff & Recall Clarification

LOU #8 Layoff and Recall Clarification

Dear 4070 Members,

With the recent news of type training initial hires on the 787 aircraft, your Executive met with the Employer and has negotiated a LOU that allows the Employer and the Union the possibility to meet and to potentially open the Layoff and Recall article in the Collective Agreement. The language follows the same language and intent as per LOU #2 in the Collective Agreement.

This LOU came about after the company’s decision to include training for new hires prior to having all current members be dual qualified. If layoffs were to occur in the future, we wanted to make sure that the company would meet with the union to discuss the process and order as they will have complicated the matter by differences of seniority and who is dual qualified and who is not.

Notwithstanding Article 47—Layoff and Recall, the Company may, prior to exercising layoffs based on Type Qualification, meet with the Union to discuss the possibility of modifying the Layoff and Recall order as per Article 47.

While this language, like LOU #2, does not guarantee the opening of the article, should layoffs ever occur again at WestJet. It is the full intent of your Executive to pursue and meet with the Company to ensure seniority is protected.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the matter further please reach out.

To connect with your Base VP, please use the Contact Form: 

https://www.cupe4070.ca/contact

Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-26 Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-26

Swoopsters Update January 2023

Dear Fellow Swoopsters,

I wanted to update you on a few things.

NEW BASE

By now, I am sure all of you have received knowledge of the Town Hall presented by Bob Cummings, Jimmy Dean Porter and Mark Rallo on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. The announcement of the new Abbotsford base comes with questions, some of which can be answered immediately while others will take some time as the details are worked through.

WestJet confirmed on January 19, 2023, that they are opening a base in Edmonton as early as May 2023, which brought about conversations around the Flow MOA. Any changes to the Flow MOA, such as flowing earlier than two years, would have to be discussed between the Company and the Union. In the MOA, at least 3% of eligible Flight Attendants can flow per yearly quarter. This number can increase without any amendments to the agreement, however because of Swoop’s crewing need, even an increase to 4% would only be 16 Flight Attendants - Swoop cannot flow more Flight Attendants without the resources to replace them.

UNION REPRESENTATION

The Union is aware of Members attending disciplinary meetings without Union Representation. It is your right to request the presence of a Union Representative at any meeting that may lead to discipline and any meeting where discipline is issued (CA 29-1.04). Stewards are trained to represent you, take notes, to inform you of your rights under the Collective Agreement, and prepare (if necessary) the documents the Union requires to determine the merits of a grievance in the event of excessive discipline. If you receive a request from Management for a meeting, please reach out to me with the meeting details, your personal email, and your preferred contact number. A Steward with then be assigned from the seven excellent representatives we have for Swoop, who will then contact you for a briefing prior to your meeting.

POLICY GRIEVANCE

The Union has filed the Scheduling Policy Grievance and is awaiting the hearing date. Please keep emailing Crew Resources with your scheduling concerns and ensure to copy me in the email for the Union’s records and filing.

GOSSIP AND CREWMOURS

When referencing fellow colleagues in conversation, kindly ensure that the language used is kind natured and adheres to the Code of Business Conduct.

CONTACTING THE UNION

To connect, you can email me at sherrie.moore@cupe4070.ca or www.cupe4070.ca/contact.

I can arrange your Union Representation for you, and I look forward to hearing from you with any questions or concerns you may have.

Swoop Base VP, Sherrie Moore

Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-25 Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-25

787 Training

Dear Members of CUPE 4070,

Your Executive has heard the frustrations some have shared with the update to how 787 type training will be taking place moving forward in 2023. We would like to share some context that many of you are asking for.

The Company communicated yesterday that because of their shifting of the 787 operations to YYC in preparation for their summer schedule, they will be training an additional 600 CCMs on the 787, as well as initial hires based in YYC going forward. Bringing the total number of 787 qualified Cabin Crew Members in Calgary to over 1100.

YYC base size, according to the December 20, 2022 MSL, was 1208 CCMs (not including CMs). From that MSL there was 708 CCMs not 787 qualified. The company has committed to train 600 YYC CCMs on the 787. Keeping in mind this does not account for those who elect to go to the YEG base, those on protected leaves, and those who defer the training for their own reasons.

The Company advised the Union that they would begin to train YYC based initial classes beginning in February. This is something the Union has firmly said it was against. The Union met with the Company on several occasions with suggestions such as training all CCMs in annual and building pairings in both YVR and YYZ to allow our currently qualified CCMs with existing training to continue to crew the 787 aircraft. The Company advised that these options had been considered and that based on the timelines for summer schedule training, type training new hires was the option the Company opted to pursue and agreed to increase the number of CCMs type trained based on seniority from 300 to 600.

Prior to the announcement, 787 type training was offered via seniority in the spirit of the MOA that was signed between the Company and the Union prior to ratification of the Collective Agreement. When the MOA expired upon ratification of the CA, the Company decided to continue offering 787 type training via seniority – this decision was supported by the Union.

The Company approached the Union to inform us that they would be incorporating 787 type training into initial classes. The Union took a position that did not support the Company’s decision to train new hires, as training should be done via seniority with the absence of Collective Agreement language pertaining to type training, the Company holds the management rights to make these changes to how type training is offered.

We hope this provides some context, if you have any questions, please contact your Inflight Leader.

To connect with your Base VP, please use the Contact Form: 

https://www.cupe4070.ca/contact

Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-23 Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-23

Election Results January 2023

Good day Members,

Below you will find the election results. Thank you to everyone one who participated.

ELECTED & ACCLAIMED POSITONS:

1x CUPE 4070 Vice President 1305 (44.9%) voted
Charles Brochu 422 (32.3%)
Elizabeth Greene 56 (4.3%)
Meghan Gulliver 60 (4.6%)
Rose Streete 389 (29.8%)
Tyson Conrod 378 (29.0%)

1x WS YYC Communications Committee
Meghan Gulliver

9x WS YVR Union Stewards
Elizabeth Greene
6 Vacant

7x WS YYC Union Stewards
Meghan Gulliver
3 Vacant

Electoral Officer:
The Electoral Officer for this by-election will be Tara Keeping, WestJet YYC Base Cabin Crew Member.

Respectfully,
Calvin Gautschi
Recording Secretary & Returning Officer - CUPE 4070

Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-19 Calvin Gautschi 2023-01-19

Base Announcements January 2023

Dear Members of CUPE 4070,

As you may have heard by now, WestJet (WS) announced plans to open a YEG base, and Swoop (WO) advised of a YXX base to be opened this year.

January 18th, was the first time the Employer advised CUPE of these plans to open new bases.

Your CUPE Executive team expressed a serious message of concern and disappointment to the Employer, that this late advisement, when compared to the notice given to the other labor groups, did not reflect their commitment to good labor relations. We expressed that the opening of new bases is of significant importance to our membership, and moving forward, the expectation the Union has with the Employer remains the same as always, to have open lines of communication.

The Employer has committed to keeping the Union more informed going forward on changes as significant as this.

Since then, your CUPE Executive has been in active communication with the Employer, unfortunately as or right now, the only information we have is the same information that has been provided to you.
We do however, give our full commitment to you, the membership, to communicate more details once they become available to the Union. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

To connect with your Base VP please use the Contact Form 

https://www.cupe4070.ca/contact

On behalf of your Local 4070 Executives:
CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
Interim CUPE 4070 Vice President, Colleen Tracey
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Calvin Gautschi
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Sherrie Moore

Local News

Town Hall -TODAY April 4th, 2023

CUPE 4070 President Update

Townhall April 4th

CUPE WINSNRT Per Diem

ACM Single Leg Partial

April Elections

Updates

Galley Gossip

Gossip, Rumours & Galley Talk

Town Hall - April 4th, 2023

Goodbye Letter

Vote Result for Non-Monetary Amendments

Non-Monetary Amendments

Hotel & Transportation Committee Update

Sunwing Update

CUPE 4070 President Update

Women's History Month

Workplace Harassment & Violence

CUPE 4070 Initiation Fee

Updates

Galley Gossip

Pilots Leaving The Aircraft Trial February 2023

Non-Monetary Amendments Townhall March 17, 2023

LOU #8 Layoff and Recall Clarification

Swoopsters Update January 2023

787 Training

Election Results January 2023

Base Announcements January 2023

Town Hall -TODAY
April 4th, 2023

CUPE WINS

NRT Per Diem