AirCanada News / Jazz News / Rouge News

[Airband]

You don't tug on Superman's cape; you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger...

Air Canada apologizes to national chief after flight crew took her headdress away

Airline says it's reviewing its policies following 'regrettable incident'

Fri Apr 26, 2024 - CBC News
by Arturo Chang

Air Canada says it's sorry after staff tried to stow away the headdress of the Assembly of First Nations' national chief in cargo storage before the departure of a flight Wednesday.

The company said in a statement Thursday it's apologizing to National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, who said on social media Thursday she was forced to hand over a case containing the headdress that was with her in the plane's cabin.

"I won't be letting anyone take away my headdress or case again," Woodhouse Nepinak said in a public Facebook post, ahead of a different flight to Montreal.

"Air Canada needs a protocol for First Peoples so that we are not harassed for our sacred items. Our headdresses don't belong in [garbage] bags by airlines."

CBC News contacted Woodhouse Nepinak, but she was still in transit and wasn't ready to talk at length about the incident Thursday night.
.
The national chief said staff wanted to put her headdress in cargo storage because there was no room in the cabin, and that the situation got tense. She said the flight crew threatened her staff, and other passengers stood up for her.

The case was put in a plastic bag, said Woodhouse Nepinak. The pilot came out and brought the case back after she complained, she said.

Woodhouse Nepinak said she normally travels with the headdress on her lap, or in carry-on storage.

Air Canada said in a statement it's reached out to the national chief to "better understand and apologize for her experience."

"Air Canada understands the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance, and in the past the chiefs have been able to travel while transporting their headdresses in the cabin," the statement said.

The airline added it's following up on the matter internally, and will be reviewing its policies after the "regrettable incident."

Incident 'unacceptable,' minister says

Federal Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez said what happened is "unacceptable" and the government "expects Air Canada to treat Indigenous customers with respect and promote better Indigenous cultural diversity."

Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, called out Air Canada on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, saying the incident was "shameful" and the company needs to ensure staff follow protocols on sacred items.

David Lametti, who was the federal justice minister when Canada adopted the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2021, told CBC News in an interview the incident left him "stunned."

"There aren't many chiefs across Canada who would have that kind of headdress," said Lametti, who now works as a lawyer specializing in Indigenous law.

"It is critically important that it be treated as a sacred object, and I don't understand why this would have been treated with anything less than the appropriate amount of dignity that it deserves."

Woodhouse Nepinak, from Pinaymootang First Nation in Manitoba, was elected national chief last December.

She received the headdress during a New Year's Day ceremony by the Blackfoot Confederacy of the Piikani Nation in Alberta for her national leadership and her work championing a historic settlement on Indigenous child welfare.

The Assembly of First Nations said in a release at that point that the headdress transfer is one of the "highest honours among First Nations ceremonies for leadership," and the eagle feathers that make up the headdress have been "blessed to help support leadership in their travels and challenges."

[st27]

A couple of things about the latest dumpster fire with AC…..and the media is loathe to tell all the story……was the crew just trying to comply with Transport Canada  rules…..the a/c wasn’t exactly a wide body, a Q400 I believe…what was the load? Could the headdress stay in an empty seat? But what gets lost in the story….

Quote

10 hours ago, Airband said:

The pilot came out and brought the case back after she complained, she said.

 

So somebody recognized that there was a problem developing around the situation and corrected the problem…..but all you hear in the press and national newscasts is the headdress being taken.

[Falken]

Nothing that a bit of cash won't settle. 

[Malcolm]

If have to wonder, what if the artifact had been a sacred weapon?  What weapons did Native Americans make with stone, wood, and other materials from nature before Europeans came to America? - Quora

Re the reason, the rules do specify what to do if the case would not fit into the very limited overhead or under the seat.  For safety, if the case could not be secured,  I am certain there could not be an exemption.

[Malcolm]

Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash

/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/4/30/air-canada-1-6867184-1714481312194.jpgAir Canada planes sit on the tarmac at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Megan DeLaire

CTVNews.ca Journalist

Follow |Contact

Published April 29, 2024 5:27 p.m. MDT

 

Air Canada has temporarily walked back its decision to charge a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares.

Under the old policy, customers with fares that didn't offer free seat selection prior to check-in would be randomly assigned a seat at the time of check-in, with the option to change that seat to another available seat for free.

However, some Air Canada customers received notices earlier this month stating the airline would soon charge passengers with standard or basic fares to change their automatically assigned seats during check-in.

 Facebook account belonging to Ontario-based travel agent Kerry Berlinquette shared an image(opens in a new tab) of a notice she received on April 18.

"We're introducing a new seating assignment process for Standard or Basic Fares," the notice reads.

"When customers enter the check-in flow, our system will automatically assign a seat free of charge for those who have not purchased a seat in advance … If they wish to change their automatically assigned seat, they can easily do so for a fee."

The notice, which stated the change would take effect April 24, triggered a wave of complaints by angry consumers on Facebook, X and Reddit.

So Air Canada can now split your party at their discretion to force you to spend money to ensure your party sits together. (Previously it was a safe gamble at 24 hours you could find seats together) pic.twitter.com/rTvxfVqqGy

— Steven Clark (@TheFwordNB) April 25, 2024

"That stinks. It was bad enough you had to fight for a seat 24 hours before flight. Just another money grabber," one Facebook user wrote in a comment on Berlinquette's post.

"It's frustrating when traditional airlines behave like budget airlines," a Reddit user wrote on April 24. "They have eliminated free checked baggage and now they have also removed the option of selecting seats for free during check-in. What will be next?"

I don’t know why everyone is mad at @AirCanada for introducing another junk fee. They have been trending towards the bottom end of the discount airline market since their last bailout. Their service, food, on time rating, cleanliness, and generally quality is horrible.

— Kritical Defiance (@KriticalDave) April 25, 2024

Following some of the backlash, Air Canada issued a statement(opens in a new tab) to airline industry news website Pax News clarifying the policy change.

"What has changed, and is consistent with our branded fares, is that after seats are assigned at check-in for no fee, customers who now wish to change to a different seat from the one we assigned them will have to pay the same fee they would have paid prior to check-in," the airline wrote to Pax News, which reported the airline would continue to assign seats to ensure families on the same booking are seated together for no fee, as per Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations.

"This is the practice at other airlines, including some in Canada."

However, by April 26, Air Canada had paused the new fee. The flag carrier would not confirm whether consumer backlash had influenced the decision and declined to answer questions by CTVNews.ca about why it had introduced the fee and how long the pause would last.

• Canada This Month newsletter: Sign up to read the best our local outlets have to offer(opens in a new tab)

"We paused the implementation for operational reasons to ensure a smooth rollout for our customers and employees," a spokesperson, who did not provide a name, wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on Monday.

"We will communicate next steps at the appropriate time."

Air Canada would not be the first Canadian carrier to charge a fee for seat selection after check-in. However, the airlines that charge a seat selection fee, such as Flair and Porter, tend to be low-cost carriers that offer more affordable base fares than Canada's flag carrier.

One exception is WestJet, Canada's second largest carrier after Air Canada, which also charges a fee for seat selection. 

[conehead]

I’m hearing that AC has a 777 in CDG with a pax door torn off by the bridge. And… for some much needed lift, they are bringing a couple of 767s out of hibernation from the desert. One is in Hamilton now, where the good folks at Kelowna Flightcraft are doing a C check and preparing it for re-entry into service.

[Turbofan]

20 hours ago, conehead said:

I’m hearing that AC has a 777 in CDG with a pax door torn off by the bridge. And… for some much needed lift, they are bringing a couple of 767s out of hibernation from the desert. One is in Hamilton now, where the good folks at Kelowna Flightcraft are doing a C check and preparing it for re-entry into service.

The 767 wouldn't surprise me.  Parking them during Covid was knee jerk. However Air Canada doesn’t have any 767 mainline pilots.  They have a 767 cargo position only at 10% off.

Getting 767 cargo pilots to do passenger flying would be a contract violation that would not go over very well.  Particularly at this juncture of negotiations.

If they are planning this they have kept it quiet.  There is absolutely no way a let would be considered without a contract.  Negotiations started almost a year ago.  The contract expired 8 months ago.

 

Pulling something like that heading into summer would be ill advised I think.  It has the potential to create havoc. So I’m going to chalk it up to rumour.

[conehead]

8 hours ago, Turbofan said:

Pulling something like that heading into summer would be ill advised I think.  It has the potential to create havoc. So I’m going to chalk it up to rumour.

Well... my sources are pretty good. And Maintenance is loading up a 767 course to get some more AMEs up to speed. They don't pull the guys off the floor and send them on a 5 week long type training course on a whim.

I never thought they would bring the L-1011 back online either, but they did...

[Malcolm]

Likely connected with this, if the aircraft shortage story

is accurate

Summer holiday hell on the horizon as Boeing crisis leads to aircraft shortage (msn.com)

[Turbofan]

23 hours ago, conehead said:

Well... my sources are pretty good. And Maintenance is loading up a 767 course to get some more AMEs up to speed. They don't pull the guys off the floor and send them on a 5 week long type training course on a whim.

I never thought they would bring the L-1011 back online either, but they did...

Like I said I'm not that surprised about possibly bringing the 767 back.

The problem is they haven't put out a bid for pilots to bid on.  The only way they could make it work now for summer is to completely subvert seniority.

Violating the pilot contract that severely, as they are about a year into negotiating a new contract? LOL That would be a risky thing to do right at the start of summer. 

But we are talking about AC here.  I'm not so sure they know what they are currently dealing with.  They have shown signs that if the pilots won't be compliant, they will just do as they please.

It could also be they are ready to declare impasse and let the clock start ticking toward strike and don't care.  

Actually I think ALPA is almost there as well.  Give it 4 weeks and we will see

 

[st27]

Dare to dream…..

Quote

 

All Singapore Airlines staff will receive eight months’ worth of salary as bonus after the Singapore Airlines Group reported a record profit of SG$2.7 Billion ($1.99 Billion) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

A memo viewed by The Straits Times indicated that staff, including pilots, will receive 7.94 months profit-sharing bonus.

In 2023, the group’s staff also received a bonus worth 6.65 months’ salary when SIA Group posted a record SG$2.1 Billion net profit ($1.5 Billion)

 

 

 

[conehead]

56 minutes ago, st27 said:

Dare to dream…..

 

Emirates staff just got something similar...

[Kip Powick]

My friend  at the Corner Store shook my hand.... I won a free ticket on Lotto Max ...

[Turbofan]

Air Canada and ALPA failed to come to agreement during mediation.  Looks like impasse will be declared between now and June 17.  The mediation protocol possibly adds two weeks depending on the mediators actions today.

 

So currently a Strike/Lockout range from late August to later half of September.

[deicer]

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/air-canada-pilots-union-to-seek-conciliator-says-parties-are-far-apart-in-talks-1.2080332

Air Canada pilots union to seek conciliator, says parties are far apart in talks

Air Canada pilots intend to request help from a federal conciliator to assist in stalled contract negotiations with the airline, the union representing them announced Sunday.

The Air Line Pilots Association, representing more than 5,000 Air Canada pilots, said the two sides are not close to a deal despite a year of contract talks, including close to six months of voluntary mediation.

"Unfortunately, Air Canada continues to undervalue your contributions to the success of this airline," said Charlene Hudy, head of the union's Air Canada contingent, in a video message to members.

She said that while talks have allowed the two sides to reach important agreements, they remain too far apart in negotiations and so pilots will be leaving the voluntary process on June 15. 

The union says it will file a notice of dispute to inform the federal Minister of Labour that they've attempted, but failed, to reach a collective agreement, and to request the minister assign a conciliator.

Air Canada said in a statement that the airline remains committed to achieving a fair, negotiated agreement.

"Air Canada has worked hard and in good faith to reach a new collective agreement with ALPA under the bargaining protocol and the talks conducted under the bargaining protocol led to significant progress," it said.

The airline said it will continue to push for an agreement in the coming months under the normal bargaining process, insisting customers can continue to book and travel with confidence on Air Canada.

Canadian pilots have been seeking gains that will bring them closer to deals won by their counterparts in the U.S.

Between March and September last year, pilots at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines secured agreements that included four-year pay hikes ranging from 34 per cent to 40 per cent.

Hudy has called the wage gap between Canadian and American pilots "unacceptable."

The Canada Labour Code stipulates the minister has up to 15 days to appoint a conciliator, after which a 60-day period of talks begin. If no deal is reached in the talks, there's a 21-day cooling-off period before the union could be in a position to strike. 

Last week, WestJet Encore reached a deal with its pilots to narrowly avoid a potential strike. 

[Specs]

On 6/1/2024 at 11:19 AM, Turbofan said:

So currently a Strike/Lockout range from late August to later half of September.

Sounds about right

The Canada Labour Code stipulates the minister has up to 15 days to appoint a conciliator, after which a 60-day period of talks begin. If no deal is reached in the talks, there's a 21-day cooling-off period before the union could be in a position to strike. 

[dagger]

I have wondered since this round began at what point the company would make a competitive monetary offer. If it did so during the voluntary period, and the ALPA negotiating committee thought it was a good deal, could the parties get it ratified? Human nature being what it is, there would surely be a percentage of the membership who would have argued that since there was no pressure of a deadline on the company, "there must be more - vote no." If I were running the negotiations for AC, I would accept that there has to be a good measure of drama - like what Westjet has gone through on multiple fronts - to get a deal ratified.

[Seeker]

No doubt each side is concerned with looking like they did their very best;  the union wants to look good to the membership and the company negotiators want to look good to their bosses.  As you say this makes an early "negotiated" agreement look like someone (or both) settled without their best effort.

Anecdotally, the pilots are, apparently, angrier and hold higher expectations than any time since CCAA.

 

[deicer]

History will repeat itself.

Company will drag it out and then let them strike for a few days during the down period.

[Seeker]

31 minutes ago, deicer said:

 

Company will drag it out and then let them strike for a few days during the down period.

....and then?

[conehead]

7 minutes ago, Seeker said:

....and then?

...and then they will be legislated back to work.

[deicer]

15 hours ago, conehead said:

...and then they will be legislated back to work.

Just like the last pilot's strike.

[Turbofan]

On 6/4/2024 at 2:36 PM, conehead said:

...and then they will be legislated back to work.

Unlikely.

The right to strike is now a constitutional right because of all the Harper government interference and the legal battles that followed.  Remember it wasn’t just us he picked on.  Rail, Ports and Air Canada.

Im not suggesting we could strike indefinitely, however there are no quick government fixes for Air Canada this time.

The proper way to do it is to refer it to the CIRB once the government believes the differences are irreconcilable.  The Liberals started that talk about two weeks into the YVR port strike.  But even that takes time to play out.

If you believe the Liberal government will interfere before or quickly you haven’t been paying attention.

 

 

[Turbofan]

On 6/4/2024 at 11:41 AM, dagger said:

I have wondered since this round began at what point the company would make a competitive monetary offer. If it did so during the voluntary period, and the ALPA negotiating committee thought it was a good deal, could the parties get it ratified? Human nature being what it is, there would surely be a percentage of the membership who would have argued that since there was no pressure of a deadline on the company, "there must be more - vote no." If I were running the negotiations for AC, I would accept that there has to be a good measure of drama - like what Westjet has gone through on multiple fronts - to get a deal ratified.

Dagger,

We made slightly less than US carriers pre bankruptcy but it was similar to their pay.

We gave in CCAA.  The airline almost failed again in 2009.  We gave again on the pension front.  In 2011 government imposed FOS arbitration foisted more losses on the group.  Then in 2014 we locked all those losses in for 10 years to get legs back under the company.

It took until 2018, 15 years after CCAA, for Air Canada pilots to make the same wages they made in 2003.  Those are straight numbers.  No inflation factored in.

Today Air Canada pilots make roughly 40% less than they did in 2002 after factoring in inflation and half of what US pilots make.  US pilots have only recently fully recovered from their bankruptcy protections after 911.

20 years out Air Canada pilots are now some of the lowest paid legacy carrier pilots in the world and have still not had a post bankruptcy recovery contract.  

This is the problem.  It has been so long since 2003 now that Air Canada management thinks these suppressed wages are simply a “Canadian” thing.  Canadian pilots don’t make the same as other pilots.  They never have.  Right?  Well at least as long as they can remember.

Watch Air Canada’s messaging moving forward.  It will all be about “Canadian”.  

We offered them a deal that makes our pilots the highest paid in Canada.  We compete in Canada.  It will be Canada. Canada. Canada.

This “you’re just a Canadian” was seen at WestJet as well. This pilot group is getting angrier and angrier.  The latest “you’re just a Canadian” offer didn’t go over well.  It ended mediation.  Yet from a “Canadian” perspective, I have no doubt Air Canada would call it very competitive.  But even then Porter pays their EMJ top tier CA more than an AC 787 CA.

The difference between the two parties as a result is massive.  Remember if you have fallen 40% behind you need a 65% increase to get back to even.  That’s even.  Not a raise.

My guess is that if Air Canada refuses to at least restore the bankruptcy losses, there will be a very acrimonious strike.

But you are right.  To fully recover from CCAA it will have to go to the wire.  Those types of increases only come from the threat of shutdown 

[deicer]

11 hours ago, Turbofan said:

Unlikely.

The right to strike is now a constitutional right because of all the Harper government interference and the legal battles that followed.  Remember it wasn’t just us he picked on.  Rail, Ports and Air Canada.

Im not suggesting we could strike indefinitely, however there are no quick government fixes for Air Canada this time.

The proper way to do it is to refer it to the CIRB once the government believes the differences are irreconcilable.  The Liberals started that talk about two weeks into the YVR port strike.  But even that takes time to play out.

If you believe the Liberal government will interfere before or quickly you haven’t been paying attention.

 

 

You are correct in my opinion.  

The Liberals will allow them to go on strike, for a while.  Then they will declare that it is damaging the economy before sending them back to work.  That way they can state that they didn't take away the pilots constitutional rights.

Unlike the Harper government that put up back to work legislation against the IAM before they even went on strike.  That is why rampies had no love for Lisa the Ratt and slow clapped her. Which led to a walkout.

 

 

Edited June 6 by deicer