From the CAW AC Site

[Guest M. McRae]

And the beat goes on........

SOURCE: CAW 2002

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- For immediate release (Toronto: 21 Aug 03) -

Air Canada once again crosses the Line

On Tuesday a computer virus affected several of the Air Canada's call centres and electronic check-in systems across the country.

Management responded to this situation by approaching call centre members asking them to voluntarily travel to airport locations following the end of their regular shift to work overtime. However, the CAW's policy is that no cross-utilization of our members shall be worked unless agreed upon by the union.

President Anne Davidson remarked on the Tuesdays circumstances saying, "staff has already been cut to the bone and these actions are not acceptable... they [Air Canada] should be calling laid off members to work these shifts."

The company has also continued to staff Customer Service positions with Management, which is an obvious violation of the Collective Agreement.

http://action.web.ca/home/caw2002/alerts.shtml?sh_itm=321d9b043922f181d7faae98b0e04c61&AA_EX_Session=d4c53e7ef0033c01367d087f13ce40d4

[LongTimer V]

I can only imagine what these people are going thru.I don't blame them for saying enough is enough.Seems they always have enough management to jump in.Why is that.When they get serious about cutting management then Air Canada may have a chance,but until then its business as usual at headquarters.

[Guest Geminoid]

Are you serious? 800+ management jobs already gone and 300+ more to be gone by the end of the year. How many more management cuts would be enough for you?

Geminoid

[Guest Airmail]

Enough of what is enough??? There was an unprecedented crisis -- first a blackout then a virus. In fact, there were more CAW CSSAs on duty during the peaks over the past week than there ever was even before the cuts! I saw it with my own eyes in YUL where more agents were checking pax in than ever.

Management was called out to help speak to customers and help them one on one not to perform the work of the CSSAs.

[Guest AME]

On Monday in YUL ATS and management staff were asked to report to the termimal and help sort and deliver lost bags.

There were a number of people working their tails off for nothing more the desire to help ensure our customers were reunited with their belongings as quickly as possible, and yes, Robert was there pitching in

Management and unions working side by side? maybe there's hope yet

Brett

[Stickle]

Airmail

Both of these crisis could have been mitigated to a great deal if the management team had been prepared. Yes, the blackout was terrible but even worse was the fact that all of the supposed backup plans failed.

The current computer virus had been talked about for weeks. Why is it that we were some of the very few in the country to get hit hard, because we weren't prepared yet again.

Your unfailing devotion to the senior management team is clear. Do you think that they have ever made a mistake or should us lesser peons take the fall.

[Guest Airmail]

I'm not making excuses -- but I don't think the CAW should sit there and dump over managers many of whom volunteered their own time to go to the airports to work their hearts out because they felt that their colleagues on the so-called "frontlines" were under immense pressure.

The CAW and Gary Fane are always there to dump on managers for not being there when they are needed. Well, management was not only there, they were there in HUGE numbers. One CSM stayed at T1 for five days straight to help out and slept when he could and was delivered changes of clothes by members of his family. Who did I hear that from? A lead at T1 who asked that this manager be rewarded in some way.

Most AC employees looked beyond the pathetic and outdated union vs. non-union debate and pulled together and helped each other out. Rather than try to ferment divisions, the CAW, Fane and all their ilk should simply stand aside while the people who love this company do what they can, anything they can, to help it get back on it's feet.

I don't really know why we were hit by the virus when others weren't. But when I see the U.S. Navy, the CIBC, the Bank of Nova Scotia and other big companies among those which were also hit, I think maybe this was just an unfortunate set of circumstances which hit AC. Frankly, I'd fire the people who failed us if I could.

From what I saw, the management at all levels weren't willing to let the so-called "less peons" (your words, not mine) "take the fall", they decided to roll up their sleeves and head out to the airports in large numbers to do what they could to help their colleagues who needed their help.