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Hey Mitch Cronin


Guest jettech

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Guest jettech

I just read your profile and I'm wondering how long you've been this bitter.I've been with AC for 4 years now and am just beginning to let "them" turn me sour.Any thoughts on how to avoid cronic "I hate AC" syndrome?

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I'm afraid I'm not comfortable with the bitterness... I don't hate AC, I'm just very unhappy with recent events... I should probably shut my mouth while I feel as I do now, but I'm afraid my habit is to mouth off when I feel the urge...
I have no doubt I'll regret that later and wish I had just shut up....

There are other fish in the sea and I'm considering all my options very hard right now....

Good luck to you.

Cheers,

Mitch

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Guest CarryOn

Hey Mitch,
I liked your old profile a lot better! I do understand though how you are feeling. I am in the same situation over at CUPE although I am off on a extended leave right now. I am sure I would have been fired by now if I was at work.
A question for you. Were you not able to bid, apply or take one of those jobs prior to the arbritration? Why did you end up on list # 2 when people with only 3 years are on list 1? I am sure you are a great mechanic and AC should be grateful to have you!
P.S. I was A Wardair employee too:)
Kimberly

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Thanks Kimberly... :)

No, we weren't able to apply for any of the positions that came up prior to Dec 9th... It's a complicated story that I don't fully understand myself... But it has a lot to do with the inability of the IAM to represent it's members appropriately.

The reason I'm on list 2 is simply that I never was awarded an "above basic" position... In the CDN world there were very few opportunities to bid for such positions, and when one did become available (upon the retirement of one in the position), one had to compete with many very senior people. As I said, our AE1's were qualified and expected to carry out all the same duties as a CAT, so we didn't need many AE2's or ICC's (which were our "above basic" people.)

Shortly before we all came together I held a "temporary" position (which doesn't count) as an ICC for about 9 months, but when it finaly came to the crunch, I was beaten out by one more qualified than myself.

In my opinion the arbitrator was in error... He saw the difference of a "bid" position and one that was an automatic progression, but failed to note that that difference was due to the option Air Canada afforded it's licenced people of not using their licence. We didn't have that option.

Anyway... so it goes.... ;)

Cheers,

Mitch

PS. I've changed my profile...

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You are close Mitch,
The logic (or so they call it) was that an AE1 was a progression position as the CAT was a bid position.An AE1 kept his date of hire where as the CAT has a new date much like the AE2/ICC.If the Arb were to award a straight merge using both systems the AC peopel would have all ended up on the bottom because of the bid date.The best solution would have been date of hire/entrance into tech ops for all and then do the bids for shifts and none of this license requirement BS!Even with the present system, the license requirement is F#$king a lot of people from the AC world.Thee are guys with ant where from 10 to 17 years being forced on mids while some wet behind the ears rookie who's ink has not dried on his license is on 4x4 days again all for the sake of this BS license requirement

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Robert

This doesn't concern me, but I think that if somebody has been ther for 10 - 17 years and they haven't bothered to get a license yet, then they have only themselves to blame.

We have a few people who haven't bothered with their license and every time they complain I tell them the answer is simple.. "write your license"

Brett

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Brett... I think you've misunderstood something... The guys without a licence actually did very well in the shift bid. There's two unlicenced guys in Bay 8 with only 3 years a piece that got steady days and steady afternoons respectively.
Because of "licence requirements", it's the guys with licences and on the bottom list who are really getting the shaft here. There's about 3 or 4 from our side that I know of with 22, and 23 years that got shoved on steady midnights, and are just livid about it! (one guy with 22 years who got his 18th choice!) I'm just one of a long line of people who feel the result is totaly unacceptable. How the union can allow this all to occur, or why the company thinks it will get any production out of extremely -extremely- &%$@! off people is beyond me!

Robert:
re: "The best solution would have been date of hire/entrance into tech ops for all"

Absolutely! And why the bloody union couldn't see to it that that is what happened is just another bit of proof that our union is rotten to the core!

This whole thing is rotten and they apparently have no idea the problems they're creating with it all. At this point I can't imagine who -if anyone- would be able to fix it, but if nothing is done, you're going to hear some shouting for a while...

And a lot of us are seriously considering handing in our ACA's!

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Yes, the CAT's have a new date, but even if it's yesterday, it's always going to be above those on list 2, including me and all of the AE1's... Years served meant nothing and Adam's submission that no one should have an advantage over anyone else is a useless waste of text on paper.

You're absolutely right when you say "The best solution would have been date of hire/entrance into tech ops for all"!

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Mitch

We're hiring in YYZ (actually just about every base) As I understand it they need licensed people in YYZ desperately and if you have some RJ time you're pretty much guaranteed a day shift ( or so the rumour goes)

Brett

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Thanks Brett... I'll add that to the list of options to consider. I have no RJ time I'm afraid, but maybe midnights with some hope of an end to it, and some happier people, might be preferable to the current scene...

But would I get to play with those funny looking, miniature, 4 engined things? ;)

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Brett,
the answer is yes and no!
Under the AC system a while back, it took forever to get a course,gees it took ten years for my first course,1996 and I only got it because I transferred to toronto,otherwise I would have finaly received it in 2000 back at my original station.
Those who do not wish to get their ticket stay on the AT(aircraft technician)list where seniority rules!

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"And a lot of us are seriously considering handing in our ACA's! "
The only way around ACA is to let your AME expire and not renew it.We already spoke to the company on that issue,now that the LAT is no longer a bid position once you have your ACA you are stuck with that thing,unless of course you let your AME expire like I stated

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Mitch,Brett
That may be an option,but if the company adds ACR maintenance to ACTS then it will be the same ugly scenario all over again

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From all that I've heard the only ACJ maint that is being considered is heavy maint in YYC (AC wants their hangar back)

If ACTS does take all of ACJs maint then I'll be looking as well :'(

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Guest 1pawn

I think it is in the company's best interest to keep them separate and keep the wages down. Correct me if I am wrong but hasn't YYC ACJ did some RJ and 737 maintenance in the past? Look like a kind of whipsaw to me.

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Actually when AC spins off tech ops it would better for them to include ACJ maint this would force ACJ to contract all it's maint to ACTS. Also there isn't as much difference in the wages as you might think ACs wages are a little higher but ACJs benefits are better (stats and vacation etc...)

Now while it's true that ACJ has been doing the block checks on the 37s, the RJs are still being done by a third party AMO (Avmax)

If you look at the global picture, I think you'll find that maint is changing and the tradition of each airline doing all the maint to all the types is quickly coming to an end. For each of the star carriers, their tech ops will specialize in one or two types and be contracted to do the heavy maint for all the carriers.

Like I said this is mostly supposition on my part, but when you take into account that the regulatory bodies are moving towards a standardized maint license world wide, and look at how LH is structuring their maint it does have some merit.

Brett

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Guest 1pawn

I wasn't thinking that the wages were so much different now. I just thought maybe the company was concerned about the bargaining power of one collective group if there was a labour dispute. I agree that there is a global trend for the maintenance division of an airline to concentrate on types in which they have 25 or more in their fleet.

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As a separate division the bargaining power will be reduced, because the AMO is contracted to do maint for the AO and in the event of a labour dispute they would simply look else where for their maint, as far as the company playing ACJ off against AC you have to remember that it takes anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks in the classroom per A/C to get the ness endorsements.

Brett

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...awright... I'm afraid I've had one too many beers to be in any position to comment on yer AMO's and AO's and ACJ's and AC's and yer A/C's, but there's sumthin about seein my name at the top of all that that's gettin under my skin... ;)

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Guest Gadgeteer

"An AE1 kept his date of hire where as the CAT has a new date much like the AE2/ICC."

Not so! Aircraft mechs, AE1, AE2 and ICC's seniority were all based on date of hire regardless of position held or license status.

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