Let’s Talk About this MOA…
When Participation Matters Most
The news we were all waiting for appeared in our inboxes on Friday evening and more information has followed from the MEC. The Covid MOA #2 has been posted on the ACPA Website and numerous informational FAQ’s and Fact Sheets have been linked through “ACPA Alerts” over the last few days. Pilots for Change would like to acknowledge the MEC for endorsing a tentative agreement with the company on Covid MOA #2. These are very uncertain times and there are endless moving parts that must be considered while sitting at the negotiations table, making bargaining a difficult and onerous task. So, thank you to our negotiations committee for working on our behalf.
Changes to the collective agreement should always include strong participation across the pilot group. Two of our core elements, knowledge and engagement, are key in this situation. As such, we encourage members to read and understand the MOA language, FAQ’s, fact sheets, and ask lots of questions of your bargaining team and elected officials. Being fully informed about this MOA is every pilot’s responsibility before voting. This kind of participation is the foundation of a democratic union and aligns with the philosophy behind Pilots for Change. Moreover, actively participating in critical decisions affecting the nature of our work is the true source of our power as members.
Our association’s duty is to protect the integrity of our collective agreement and ensure any changes, especially in terms of an MOA, are implemented properly. At first glance, the prominent improvements in this MOA include an incremental increase to MBG, reinstatement of flat pay minimums, temporary mitigation of further layoffs and protections and incentives for retirees. Bluntly speaking, this MOA attempts to stop the bleeding for our pilot group and shields our most vulnerable active pilots who are facing imminent layoffs, or who are getting ready to retire.
That being said, our current scope grievance has not been addressed in this MOA, and we feel it is important for pilots to understand the immediate impacts on our own flying and the level of risk this presents to our recovery as a pilot group. It is also worth considering that the airline’s short-term cash position remains relatively strong because Air Canada has been managed very, very efficiently. As Air Canada Pilots, we have contributed significantly to this position in large part because of the labour stability and predictability guaranteed in our long-term agreement. However, why airlines like Air Canada and Westjet were not more active insecuring industry-specific government support leading up to this point remains an ongoing question- especially looking at the support secured by other Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa and United, to name a few.
We would also be remiss if we did not consider the far reaching impacts to senior and junior pilots alike. Firstly, our 600 furloughed pilots continue to face daily hardship. With minimal work for pilots worldwide, their careers are paused indefinitely with zero service credit as they struggle to make ends meet. Many of them came to Air Canada with significant flying experience and are now forced onto unemployment benefits or to work in the frontline gig economy. Once they are recalled to Air Canada, they will have to resume living under our flat pay scheme, picking up wherever they left off. This effect is compounded by the CWIPP retirement plan, which is negatively impacted by every dollar of lost income in a junior pilot’s career. Alongside those junior pilots are the senior ones whose prospects for pre-retirement earnings have been blunted. For those on the DB pension plan, recovery will not come soon enough to recapture the losses during what was meant to be their best years, potentially losing the prospect of left seat in a higher paying category. Tragically, many in senior and junior ranks alike will never be able to recover these lost years.
All that said, another of our core elements is culture. We believe that means supporting each other while keeping the bigger picture in mind: how do we make our profession better and improve our future going forward? After all, If we do not take care of each other, who will?
We encourage all members to email the ACPA bargaining team and your local or national representatives with your questions and concerns– and continue to hold your leadership accountable. Most importantly make sure you vote and encourage your fellow colleagues to do the same!
Once again we would like to extend our appreciation to all of the ACPA committee volunteers and staff who have been working very hard behind the scenes since this pandemic began. These are exceptionally difficult times and it is important to remember these people have been working diligently on our behalf.
A Personal Voting Checklist
The past has taught us the importance of fully understanding proposed changes to our contract before we vote. When we fail to completely digest the impacts of our decisions, when we rush, when we rely on rumour or emotion to choose, we hurt any chances of a democratic outcome– and worse we erode the association that binds us together. As we continue to receive information about the COVID MOA #2, we urge our followers to step back and consider their own process for decision making and offer this personal checklist:
Stop and think– never make a critical decision on emotion: A vote is like any irreversible action in the flight deck. Before making a selection, it helps to follow a process. Feelings can change over time, but your vote– like a fire switch– is permanent.
Take time and gather all the information: The right to vote on contracts is most often undermined when members can’t make an informed decision. They need accurate contract language, the opportunity to collectively analyze the proposal and time to discuss the likely implications. Any serious critique of the agreement requires reasonable time to study it, get expert assistance on technical questions, and communicate with bargaining committee members and elected officials.
Spot the snow job: Officials need to be open with the truth about an agreement, losses as well as gains, and particularly the areas where language is ambiguous and will require membership action to properly enforce. It’s up to the members to balance these downsides against the costs of rejecting the agreement. A real leader will make a recommendation, not try to duck trouble. If it’s not a great agreement but MEC reps think the alternatives are worse, they should say so, and why. Telling members only that they should “vote their conscience” is a cop out.
Stay engaged throughout the voting process: Accepting defeat or thinking there is no alternative to the agreement presented is not productive in the democratic process, and leaves people with a sense of cynicism and helplessness. When members are respectful, educated on the facts (of both the proposed agreement and their current contract), understand the industry landscape and listen to one another's views– a democratic outcome is possible. When groups are committed to this process, the outcome will in fact be the right one.
Do the gut check: Just like flying the line: After all the critical drills, checklists, briefings and diversion planning is complete, it’s time to land the plane. Now we do a final gut check. Can we be satisfied with our process to reach a final decision after touchdown? If so, then it’s time to vote!
Souce: https://www.labornotes.org/2018/10/getting-fair-contract-vote
In Unity,
P4C