The Door is always Open

Hello Everyone,

On this day let us take additional time to acknowledge the foundation; the builders; the uplifting force of all civilizations : Our mothers.

During my visits to the airport I have the opportunity to meet a lot of our new members .It gives me a chance to have one on one conversations with you.

Many are confused by what my position entails ( I often wonder the same thing …..)

On May 13th at the membership meeting Anca our VP, Cate our Human rights Coordinator ; Eric our DC; Tammy our local 2002 President and I will be in attendance.

It will be an opportunity to help you decipher our different roles and responsibilities.

I would like to explore some aspects of my role as a Bargaining Representative. 

I oversee matters at a Corporate level. The District Chair and their team are always your first point of contact.

My involvement commences when it becomes evident that the DC and local Management cannot come to an agreement.

That being said , there is no wall between us .Any  D101 member can reach out to me  for advice , questions or to go for coffee. I am always happy to direct you towards the appropriate channel : District chair; GIDIP trustee; staff travelling app; attendance line etc …

In my role the travelling schedule can at times be punishing.

For instance the ACBC( Air Canada Bargaining Committee)  will be travelling to Moncton and Charlottetown mid May .

I will be in attendance at memberships meetings all Day in YVR on May 13th.I am then set to travel to YQM via Toronto on a night flight on the 13th to attend the meetings in Moncton the next Day.

To the naked eye it will be another flight that I am taking to Toronto .The bulk of the meetings of the ACBC are held in Toronto. YYZ is often the connecting hub for meetings in other cities.

There is a persisting narrative that I reside in Toronto .I can however confirm that as of September 2015  Vancouver has been my ONLY city of residence.

Another clarification relates to my duties and responsibilities to my members and to the Labour board  of Canada

I have had multiple individuals complaining to me that I bring back “inadequate” individuals.

The term “inadequate” was never used…. much more colorful language is usually uttered .Many have expressed their frustration over the return of some individuals ( especially those terminated while probationary ) that they deem “‘inadequate”.

I cannot in good faith deny that some individuals’ work ethic can be a burden to their colleagues .I have worked on the floor myself and I can understand the frustration.

However ,the Labour  board of  Canada expects Unions to represent all their members ( probationary or not ) fairly.

Unions have a duty of fair representation (DFR)

When a current or previous member files a DFR complaint , the union has to prove that the member’s request was dealt with objectively and methodically.

Evidence that the Unions conduct was not arbitrary , discriminatory or in bad faith is also expected. Unions must take their members request seriously :

The Union has to demonstrate how they investigated the situation and the steps it took to resolve it.

As such, I am unable and unwilling to represent a member differently based on status , perceived adequacy or any subjective criteria.

All members ( probationary included ) will be given a thorough and robust representation.

It is my hope that this will give you a better understanding of of the grievance process.

Disclaimer : Both UNIFOR and the Company have a zero tolerance policy for harassment and bullying. If found culpable of such behaviour , the Union might not pursue reinstatement.

Defending a member requires a lot of preparation and work.

It has been discouraging to hear on multiple occasions that :

“I accuse the Company of discrimination every chance I get to reinstate a member.”

It is rather perplexing as both local management and the local Union are NOT privy to the conversation I have with Labour at the Corporate level.

Let me state in no uncertain terms that NOT A SINGLE case of reinstatement spearheaded by yours truly was based on me alleging discrimination and or racism.

I would like to conclude this newsletter with an announcement:

There is a new member of the ACBC : Marilyne Boettger.

Many of you have met Marilyne when she did the pension meetings for us in YVR last year .She has now been appointed as the BR ( Bargaining Rep)for the western region ( Alberta, Manitoba and Thunder Bay). She will be in attendance at our membership meeting Monday May 13th.

She is taking over for Joanne Goulet who has been appointed to the National as a Staff Rep for Alberta .I extend my congratulations to both.

I am grateful that many of you have shared with me their questions and concerns.

A robust , and honest dialogue is paramount in building any relationship.

Thank you for your readership 

In Solidarity and Iron Focus

S.G