Many of us are finding ourselves in unchartered territory as it relates to the current Covid-19 situation. Some of you, unfortunately, will have suffered wage reduction or loss. Some may have had to book off sick or take a leave of absence to deal with child care concerns. What follows is a brief outline from the IAM with a guideline of what you might need to consider as we go forward in this dark time. Stay safe everyone and remember, help is just one phone call away.
Letter of concern to Members of Parliament
With the concern of loss of employment in all sectors of our world, including the airlines, the leaders of several organizations in Canada, including the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have submitted a letter of concern to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Transport. The full length of the letter can be found here:
Airline Crisis-Ltr-MinFIN-MinTRAN-2020-03-24
Employment Insurance Information Package
Applying for and receiving EI benefits can be a challenging task under normal circumstances. With the current health concerns and the large numbers of laid-off and sick employees applying Canada wide, there has been a strain put on the system. The IAM has produced an information package that will give you the necessary information as to how to proceed in an organized fashion. The details can be found here:
Coping with the Covid-19 crisis
In the coming weeks, many members of the IAM in Canada will be facing the prospect of temporary loss of employment as airlines across the globe seek to reduce or minimize their cost structure. Air Canada is no different.
The Employee and Family Assistance Program has your well being in mind and has compiled a list of useful links to assist you during these troubled times. IAM DL 140 has put these links in a bulletin which you can see below. Stay safe everyone and remember help is just a phone call away.
Employment Insurance and you
With the growing concern of the Covid 19 virus the Federal Government has made it somewhat easier to claim EI sickness benefits. The following information is a guideline as to the process currently in play with respect to these benefits.
Covid-19 virus and pending Air Canada off-duty status update
The current situation surrounding the Covid-19 virus has impacted almost every facet of our day to day life. Unfortunately, this has also impacted the airline industry with a large reduction of capacity and with this will certainly follow with lay-offs of airline personnel. The IAMAW has issued a bulletin that addresses what is likely to happen within the TMOS ranks. View the info, in English or French below:
Changes to the Canadian Labour Code
There is a new bulletin out that speaks to changes in the Canadian Labour Code. Highlights of the changes that might be most relevant to any IAM employees are spelled out in the following bulletins in English and French. Take a moment to review them.
Multi Employer Pension Plan: IMPORTANT INFORMATION
A new bulletin has just been issued with some very important information on it regarding your overtime hours and how that may be used in your future pension calculations. Please read it carefully and submit your selection on the provided forms. Note that there is a 90 day window from receipt of this bulletin to make your selection and once made is irrevocable.
The purchase of Air Transat by Air Canada
The offical announcement of the pending acquisition is only a few days old and the IAM has issued a bulletin to discuss the details of this as it moves forward. Full details to be found in the following:
Air Canada retirement health benefits
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: