It is with great sadness that I report on the passing of our friend and co-worker Bryne Verhaeghe, age 67, on Wednesday January 9 2019. His obituary as published in the Winnipeg Free Press can be viewed below. RIP Bryne.
https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-261274/VERHAEGHE_BRYNE
It is with great sadness that I report on the passing of our friend and co-worker Dennis Dreger, age 63, on December 21 2018. His obituary as published in the Winnipeg Free Press can ve viewed at the link provided below. RIP Dennis.
https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-261020/DREGER_DENNIS
On a regular basis a group of retired and current members of LL 714 meet for a buffet breakfast. These events are held at Assiniboine Downs on a Saturday morning at 0900. Occasionally a guest speaker will attend and provide information on a variety of topics ranging from pensions, historical aviation events or a discussion on health. All are welcome to attend. Breakfast is $11.00 per person. Please let Don Currie know if you are planning on attending at: doncurrie58@gmail.com
The next breakfast is scheduled for Saturday January 26th at 0900 and this time around the guest speaker is Norma Kirkby from the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba and the topic will be:
Living Wisely: Planning for the Future
Description: Planning for the future makes living today much less stressful and provides family members with information they will need if you are unable to care for your own affairs. Hear why having an up to date health care directive, power of attorney and will are vital for every adult Canadian.
Some of you may have already received the questionaire from the lawyer firm representing us in the Air Canada/AVEOS lawsuit. If you have not seen it for some reason here is the link to take you directly to it. Make sure you fill it out and get it back to them prior to the deadline of Jan 27 2019:
http://tjl.quebec/en/aveos-damages/?fbclid=IwAR0EuULNeNO-tm9t2ZXUkPL2Qx7CqkRVjeF71aCjj6psU5n3fN2BcUUtwlc
If I were to ask you: “how are you doing today”, your answer would likely be the usual response of “fine” or “okay”. But how are you really doing? An initiative is being launched to encourage a mentally healthy workplace. The following video will help explain the program being promoted by the Canadian Mental Health Association and the IAM EAP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qau7f9kpR5U&feature=youtu.be
The IAM Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available for all employees and encourages workers to seek help with not only mental health issues but any issue of a personal nature.
For more details contact your local rep for login information. Contact information is available in the EAP section from the home page.
So, how are you doing today?
For those that may not know there is a fairly active Canada wide community of Air Canada and Aveos workers, some current but mainly retired, who are involved in the Pionairs, a group established to encourage keeping in touch with friendships made during our working years.
Other activities see the Pionair group providing information on pension and health benefit changes and giving voice to our collective concerns at a national level. As well they hold organized social gatherings throughout the year to provide members a way to stay in touch or to meet new friends.
The following document will share some of what has been going on in Manitoba:
Since March 2012 a regular meeting for breakfast has taken place on a fairly regular basis. These social gatherings keep our kindred spirit alive and is not just for those retired. Anyone with available time is encouraged to break bread with friends and to enjoy the fellowship of having worked at Air Canada/Aveos. The next scheduled breakfast is slated for Saturday January 26 2019. Full details can be found in the following:
The following bulletin contains information on some pre-negotiations training for our members:
The details of the 2019 IAMAW Scholarship Competition have been announced. Please take a look at the following bulletin for all the information:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Air Canada is asking eligible retirees whether they will give up their life insurance and health benefits, both of which were guaranteed for life, for a one time cash payment for life insurance, and a health care spending account of $450 yearly for the retiree, and another $450 for eligible dependents for a total maximum of $900 for health benefits. The decision whether to take the Voluntary Buyout Program is a personal one, and we cannot make a recommendation about what to do. However, we suggest that our members consider the
following when making the decision: