CAW Sets a Deadline

[FireFox]

MONTREAL - Air Canada's customer service and airport workers have given the airline about three weeks to hammer out a new contract and avoid a strike.

The Canadian Auto Workers union, which has about 3,800 members at Air Canada, set a strike deadline for June 13 at midnight. More than 98 per cent of local members voted in favour of going on strike, if necessary, to support their efforts for a new collective agreement.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/air-canada-customer-workers-support-possible-strike-back-152424185.html

[dagger]

MONTREAL - Air Canada's customer service and airport workers have given the airline about three weeks to hammer out a new contract and avoid a strike.

The Canadian Auto Workers union, which has about 3,800 members at Air Canada, set a strike deadline for June 13 at midnight. More than 98 per cent of local members voted in favour of going on strike, if necessary, to support their efforts for a new collective agreement.

http://ca.news.yahoo...-152424185.html

I can't remember when AC ever said it would operate during a strike like they are saying today. I'd almost like to see if it works.

[FA@AC]

I guess it would be interesting, though I hope it doesn't come to that. A CAW strike would have far less effect on a lot of airport/reservations functions than it would once have had since most of those are now performed online or at kiosks. Also, Jazz agents handle AC flights at many stations nowadays. The operation, however, is currently more dependant on CAW performed work in flight security-related areas such as baggage matching, etc, than it ever was, so there'd certainly be significant impact.

11th hour settlements are the norm at AC, and I expect that's what we'll see again here.

[dagger]

I guess it would be interesting, though I hope it doesn't come to that. A CAW strike would have far less effect on a lot of airport/reservations functions than it would once have had since most of those are now performed online or at kiosks. Also, Jazz agents handle AC flights at many stations nowadays. The operation, however, is currently more dependant on CAW performed work in flight security-related areas such as baggage matching, etc, than it ever was, so there'd certainly be significant impact.

11th hour settlements are the norm at AC, and I expect that's what we'll see again here.

Not to mention AC has several foreign call centers, and you could spool up one in India on the cheap. Or outsource specific tasks to a call center in a strip mall somewhere. However, I would still expect a settlement without a strike, and believe today's statement by AC was intended more to keep passengers booking flights than anything else. Still, it would be interesting. Let's hope the talks which resume next week are business-like and productive.

[Guest]

After the 2003 CCAA negotiations with the CAW, I was told by a senior leader that the exec leadership (ie. R.A.M.) had made it clear that the CAW were in their sights for 2009. The mandate over the next 6 years was to get prepared for a protracted work stoppage by automating things and making self service options a key focus.

I left shortly after CCAA and obviously there has been changes at the senior levels, but I wonder if that mindset still exists at YULHQ.

[wizard]

I guess it would be interesting, though I hope it doesn't come to that. A CAW strike would have far less effect on a lot of airport/reservations functions than it would once have had since most of those are now performed online or at kiosks. Also, Jazz agents handle AC flights at many stations nowadays. The operation, however, is currently more dependant on CAW performed work in flight security-related areas such as baggage matching, etc, than it ever was, so there'd certainly be significant impact.

11th hour settlements are the norm at AC, and I expect that's what we'll see again here.

Would be interesting because the Jazz agents are also from the CAW local 2002.

[Chipndeal]

Not to mention AC has several foreign call centers, and you could spool up one in India on the cheap. Or outsource specific tasks to a call center in a strip mall somewhere. However, I would still expect a settlement without a strike, and believe today's statement by AC was intended more to keep passengers booking flights than anything else. Still, it would be interesting. Let's hope the talks which resume next week are business-like and productive.

Can Aeroplan handle some call centre tasks as well?