Capt. Eddy Doyle, Air Canada’s director of flying operations, has raised concerns that pilots will be booking off sick on Friday when in fact they are fit to fly, according to an internal newsletter from Jean-Marc Belanger of the Air Canada Pilots Association, which represents 3,000 pilots.
Related: Air Canada March Break labour disruptions averted as labour minister blocks lockout, strike
Belanger said in the newsletter, sent Thursday, that there was no way to verify these allegations.
However, if they are accurate, “they have not been initiated or sanctioned by ACPA,” he said.
He went on to emphasize that the federal government’s back-to-work legislation prevents any strike or lockout as the contract dispute is to be settled through arbitration. The union has launched a constitutional challenge against the legislation.
Ottawa’s repeated intervention in contract talks at Air Canada, which has blocked scheduled strikes and a lockout of pilots, has angered employees.
Baggage handlers and other machinists staged a wildcat strike at Pearson international airport on March 23 that created chaos for passengers across the country, resulting in many cancellations.
Pilots are also furious with Air Canada management who have accused two top union officials — Belanger, who is chair of the master executive council, and president Paul Strachan — of making reckless comments about safety after Aveos Fleet Performance, which did maintenance work for Air Canada, ceased operations last month. Both men say they have been threatened with possible dismissal from Air Canada.
In a newsletter sent Tuesday, Belanger writes to pilots that “your response to these threats will influence my ability to continue serving you with any kind of credibility.” He goes on to say: “If you allow this to stand unchallenged, you are signalling that you accept bullying, disrespect and contempt.”
He emphasized that the union would prefer a return to the negotiating table instead of arbitration, though the company has refused.
Belanger urges members to convey that message, and he does not call for any other specific action. He urged pilots to “tell any manager with the good sense to listen that this airline can only succeed with a productive pilot group.”
Also over the March 17-18 weekend, the airline noted a higher than usual number of pilot bookoffs, which combined with foggy weather in Toronto, created delays for travellers.
Related: Air Canada March Break labour disruptions averted as labour minister blocks lockout, strike
Air Canada wildcat sparked by suspensions
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Vanessa Lu
No comments:
Post a Comment