Fall Board Meeting
October 23-24, 2003
In Attendance:
Pierre Gaumond VP ST-Laurent
Carl Valittuti VP
Central
David
Doerksen VP Prairie
Trevor
Johnson VP Pacific
1. Fiscal year 2002-2003 Audit financial Statements
The 2002-2003 statements were presented and discussed.
Resolution #1
Be it resolved that the Audited financial statements be accepted as
presented.
Statements will be distributed to the Branches & Facilities as soon
as practical
2. Current year financial review
a. Review of current statements
-
Expenditures
following two completed reporting periods were reviewed by the board.
b. Revision to the 2003-2004 Budget
-
As a result of
numerous changes from the conclusion of the collective agreement and the
positive results of the previous year amendments to the approved 2003-2004
budget were required.
Be it resolved that the revised budget presented October 22 be adopted.
Carried unanimously
The budget will be included with the financial statements to be mailed
to B&F’s
c. Venture Fund –The latest statements shows that the
value of the venture fund has increased to approximately $510,000.
Whereas the Board of Trustees has recommended the following action,
Be it resolved that the Venture fund be capped at the October 01, 2003
value and that all future income earned by the CSTGF and Lawrence Enterprise
fund sponsor agreements be placed into general revenue.
Carried unanimously
Resolution #4
Be it resolved that interest earned by the venture fund be accrued in
that fund.
Carried unanimously
d. Status of the convention reserve.
The convention reserve, while properly structured within the policy manual, is impractical in that format. The convention reserve unlike other reserves (venture fund, contingency etc.) that only have occasional use is a planned expenditure with ongoing activity. As established, this requires a board of directors meeting and resolution for each and every expenditure from the reserve. This is impractical and provides no increased oversight of funds. This can be and should be accomplished within the normal operating funds of the association without the need for a ‘reserve” designation.
Resolution #5
Following recommendations by the Auditor regarding reserve funds and in
an effort to provide more simplified accounting procedures,
Therefore:
Be it resolved that the Policy Manual be amended to remove the
Convention Reserve from the list of reserve funds and that convention funds be
accrued annually within the associations normal operating revenues.
Carried Unanimously
3. Signatory authority for grievances and agreements
On the Advice of National staff Rep Abe Rosner and so as to ensure
consistency across the country the following process will be followed.
-
Policy grievances
must be signed by one of the National Exec.
-
All other
grievances will be signed by the RVP or the Branch executive with the
concurrence of the RVP.
-
Agreements that
have the effect of altering a members collective agreement entitlement may be
signed by a Regional Vice President with the concurrence of a member of the
national executive.
4. Board Reports
a. Received as information
5. YOW TCU
The was a general discussion on the recent events in Ottawa. The company rejected the many options presented by the union and will go ahead despite the known adverse effects. Human Resource issues are now being investigated. Every effort will be expended to ensure each member is dealt with equitably. Ongoing meetings with the company are scheduled on various issues.
6. Other business
a. Branch Rebates
The Board of Trustees recommended that a study be
undertaken in regards to usage of branch funds specifically in regards to
training.
As input from each branch is required this matter will be deferred to the convention for debate.
b. Strike pay
During the course of the strike the local, in support of the strikers, expended some $650,000.00. All accounts have been reviewed by the auditor and found to be in order. There is still some $12,000 to be recovered from some who were overpaid. This total expenditure was within the ability of the local to pay and therefore no special levy on the membership will be made and this issue will be closed subject only to the recovery of overpayments that remain outstanding.
7. Meeting
adjourned at 4:30 pm Oct 24, 2003
Fall 2003
Reports
I would first like to start off by sincerely
thanking the membership for their support in this past round of collective
bargaining. It was your support that brought this round to an end on our
terms. Our strength came from your
trust and patience in your elected representatives and at the end of the day we
showed just how strong we are when we work together.
The challenge continues. With this round of bargaining behind us we
still face many challenges as we move into the next round of bargaining. There are still a couple of implementation
issues from the last collective agreement that are in dispute with the company,
namely what the 5:29 starting restriction means and who the retroactivity
applies to. Moving forward we’re
already thinking about the next round of collective bargaining. We are putting together the issues that need
to be researched so that we have accurate data and making sure that we give
ourselves the time needed to complete this prior to the beginning of
bargaining. We will be using the
Convention in Moncton to focus our attention on collective bargaining issues
and hope that coming out of that convention we have a bargaining team that
clearly understands the issues identified for bargaining by the membership.
Nav Canada has not changed. We still see a management force that is
actively intimidating or influencing controllers not to take advantage of
negotiated benefits. Whether it is the
attempt to restrict fam flights, the denial of different types of leave
requests or their attendance management program, the company’s managers seem to
be intent on ensuring that the benefits you have are difficult if not
impossible to access. On a more
positive note the new VP Human resources has indicated that the company is
looking for a new relationship. Actions
rather than words will determine the sincerity of these statements. In the meantime it is important that you inform
the Union should you feel that you are being denied a negotiated benefit.
The CIRB process is
ongoing. The Chair of the CIRB, Mr.
Paul Lordon has not been reappointed for another term. The new Chair, effective January 1st,
2004 will be Mr. Warren Edmondson from the Minister of Labour’s office. The effect that this will have on our case
has yet to be determined and it will be Mr. Edmondson who will have the final
say once he is in office.
The merger with the
CAW. It is often hard for every member
to see the advantages that we have gained by merging with the CAW. Certainly at the National level the work of
Abe Rosner, our staff representative who deals with grievances and
arbitrations, has been very productive.
Lewis Gotheil, CAW legal council, continues to do a magnificent job on our
essential services case. The behind the
scenes work of Gary Fane and Buzz Hargrove were certainly instrumental in the
last few weeks of collective bargaining.
We have also benefited and will continue to use the services of Jim
Stanford, the CAW economist and their research department to strengthen our
arguments in future rounds of collective bargaining. Most importantly of all, I think the confidence that the CAW has
given the membership to stand together and the understanding that by doing so
we can be successful has been the greatest benefit to our Union.
We are continually
looking for ways to improve the service that the Union provides to you. Our affiliation with the two Labour
Sponsored Funds has generated quite a bit of revenue for the membership. We have improved the CATCA Life insurance
program by adding the availability of critical illness coverage and are
currently looking at other ways to improve this program. Our affiliation with the CAW has provided
some members with discounts for various different products.
In closing I would
like to thank all our Branch Chairs, Branch Executives and Stewards for the
fantastic job they have done.
Frequently unappreciated, these members give up a lot of their own time
to service the membership and ensure that your rights are properly protected.
In solidarity,
Rob.
The conclusion of the collective agreement on June 10 followed by the July 04 ratification was of course the highlight of the period covered by this report.
The expectation that we would then have the summer off and life would be much more calm was short lived. Some things never change. Navcan seems to be one of those things.
In any event the fiscal year has concluded and we were able to live within our means over the past fiscal year and still have a surplus. Our proposed budget for the coming year would reflect the same.
The auditors have completed the year-end review and the National Executive and the Board of Trustees have reviewed the auditors report and statement. The statements will be presented to the Board of Directors for their acceptance on the 23rd of October. These will then be mailed to the Branches and Facilities for your reading.
The financial challenges of the year past were highlighted by approximately $650,000 in strike payments that were not budgeted for. Through continued reductions in discretionary spending we were able to withstand this occurrence within our annual income. This experience dictates, however, that a very serious and forthright debate on the issue of strike pay needs to be undertaken regarding future commitments.
In the coming year, increases in income due to salary increases and from other sources will be used to offset the increased commitment of the 5 Vice Presidents salaries, which are now our responsibility. The 2003-04 budget will contain surplus.
I remain committed to spending only what we need to and not to expanding our budget to meet our available resources. The welcome oversight provided by the Board of Trustees to our financial team gives me the reassurance that the direction we are taking is both prudent and effective. I believe that we will soon have a valid historical picture on which to base a reduction in income to meet recent proven expenditure levels.
In the National office we have made a few changes that have streamlined our work processes and upgraded our ability to serve the membership. We are pleased to advise you that Ms. Miriam Rode has agreed to join our team on a full time basis. Miriam brings a wealth of experience and a work ethic that is only surpassed by her bright and sunny disposition.
We are also pleased that Ms. Bridget Oliveira has been rehired as our Receptionist. Bridget has been with us in various part time capacities and we are very fortunate to have her accept a permanent full time position with us.
Ms. Joanne Richer-Donovan rounds out the National Office team that, under the direction of Anita Sawyer, provide us with the support to meet challenges as they present themselves.
Anita and our team in the office have developed into a cohesive group that accomplishes tasks by supporting each other with the common goal of service to the membership. An atmosphere of cooperation has permeated the workplace where all are encouraged to be creative and enjoy themselves.
Preparations are well underway for the Convention in Moncton in May of 2004. Jim Merzetti has surrounded himself with a very capable group of volunteers who are putting together a social program that is bound to be exceptional. Go figure … Maritimers organizing a party. I can’t see a problem there!
In closing I wish to thank you all for your support and patience through an arduous collective bargaining process and wish you well in the coming months.
Respectfully submitted
Greg Myles
Collective bargaining finally came to an end during this report period. As you all know, the process was tedious, the length of which, was totally unnecessary. We didn’t end up with all of the wishes of the membership, however, significant gains were made, even though it took the threat of strike to complete the process. Nothing leads me to believe we won’t have to put up with the same approach during the next round. Of particular note to me, is the fact the company was not rewarded for their stalling approach to bargaining.
The patience, understanding and intelligence of the membership was much appreciated by the Bargaining Committee and Board of Directors, as we were given the time (unfortunately it was 30 months) and latitude to maneuver ourselves into the best possible situation, given the circumstances. I would like also to thank the Branch Chairs and their Executives and Stewards for an excellent job of keeping their members informed, despite some very trying conditions.
History has repeated itself once more. While the ink has yet to dry on our newly signed contract, we ready for yet another round of battles as, predictably, the company is beginning to bring forth their own “unique” interpretations of many of the articles. In fact, the company is trying its best to push the limits of contract interpretations at every opportunity, a tactic that costs us all valuable time and resources, while doing nothing to improve relations. I urge all members to bring forth to their elected officials, any problems with respect to contraventions of the Collective Agreement.
The Union/management relationship in the Atlantic Region is slowly improving, but that improvement shouldn’t overshadow the fact that we still have a long way to go. We are still miles away from a corporate philosophy that appreciates Air Traffic Controllers and their contributions to this company. The bottom line remains the priority, with safety and employee satisfaction taking a distant back seat.
I’m planning to soon schedule final level discussions on many of the outstanding grievances in the Atlantic Region. Some of the issues being dealt with are fam flights, mandatory shift changes, contracting out, staffing and pay, to name a few. In an effort to keeping you all informed as to the progress of those grievances and discussions, I will be providing the membership with a synopsis shortly.
Now that bargaining is over for this round, I look forward to getting back to a routine schedule of unit visits. I also look forward to my discussions with all the members in the region during those visits and am anxious to hear your opinions. Thank you, again, for your support.
Respectfully,
Rob Allan
Vice-President, St-Laurent Region –
Pierre Gaumond
Board Report – Fall 2003
This
report covers the period from July 1st to September
30, 2003.
Studies and
Transfers
Nav Canada has begun a study of possible changes in
the ATC services at St-Jean Airport. The local authorities have been informed
of this, but there does not seem to be much action for the moment. This will be
an important issue to follow in the coming months.
For
more than a year, rumours abounded of a possible transfer of Ottawa TCU to
Montreal ACC. On January 7, 2003 the Unit Manager denied such rumours. However,
Nav Canada has been working on this since the beginning of 2003, and announced
a consultation on the matter in August. The plans by Larry Lachance and the
Company were very clear -- the Ottawa TCU will, in July 2004, move to the
Montreal ACC, unless the Board of Directors prevents it.
The
members of Ottawa TCU, along with relatives and friends, all pitched in to
prove to Nav Canada that there existed other possibilities than those that were
being considered. These members have shown great strength of character and
exemplary professionalism throughout this process. Unfortunately, Nav Canada
confirmed on October 13, to everyone’s dysmay, that Ottawa TCU will be
transferred to Montreal ACC in July 2004. The Union will work during the coming
months to ensure that the rights of the members and their families are
respected and that conditions for the transfer are implemented in the most
possible humane way.
Collective Agreement
The
new Collective Agreement came into effect on July 4, 2003 after more than two
years of waiting. A two-day training will be held on November 13 and 14, 2003
to allow our unit representatives to better acquaint themselves with and better
interpret the Collective Agreement. Nav Canada would benefit from attending
this training seminar considering that it has decided not to interpret the
05:29 hours start clause in the way all had seemed to agree upon. We have filed
a grievance on this issue and hope for a quick resolution.
Word Schedule
Mirabel,
Québec, St-Honoré, St-Hubert and St-Jean Towers and Montreal ACC have opted for
the 17/11 schedule. Ottawa Tower, Ottawa TCU and Dorval Tower have obtained a
postponement of the vote because of problems with the production of schedules
and important projects being carried on at these units.
Mirabel
Tower is still facing a certain lack of will on the part of the managers in
resolving such issues as one-man shifts, the distribution of overtime and the
number of shifts (18).
The
Company has indicated its intention to re-optimize the work schedule at several
units next year. The Union will be watching to make sure working conditions for
which we fought so hard in the last few years do not deteriorate.
Staffing
The
lack of qualified personnel is one of the most important issues we all face. In
spite of more than 60 members being in training in the St-Laurent Region, the number
of active controllers is still decreasing and the number of those eligible for
immediate retirement continues to increase.
The
number of available controllers at the Montreal ACC stands at 89%, i.e. 20 less
than the complement requirements determined by Nav Canada. This continuing
staff shortage requires significant efforts at the East, South, Terminal and
Frontenac sub-units. Nav Canada relies on controllers working two positions at
once, on supervisors no longer standing back and on controllers working 12
hours a day to ensure that the shortage remains unnoticed by the users. We have
begun to tackle the issue of controllers working two positions simultaneously
and will continue our efforts until all sub-units are sufficiently staffed to
assure everyone adequate breaks.
Accidents/Incidents
Between
July 1st and September 30, 2003, 454 events were reported in the
St-Laurent Region, including nine irregularities involving IFR controllers and
eight involving VFR controllers. One aircraft crashed while flying IFR; twelve
while flying VFR. Fourteen runway incursions were reported, 17 pilots entered
in controlled airspace without a clearance, and 16 others failed to follow ATC
clearances.
Nav
Canada and Transport Canada are closely watching the controllers’ every
actions. It is recommended that all stay within their limits, not those imposed
by Nav Canada. Transport Canada has met a few controllers following an
incident: controllers should seek to take advantage of such an opportunity.
Equipment
The
Dorval Tower members have been very busy for several months preparing the new
consoles and implementing EXCDS and NVCS. The Ottawa Tower had to transfer its
activities to the old tower for several days for refurbishment purposes. OIDS-R
is being implemented at several towers as well as at Montreal ACC, which should
allow for a more flexible and more powerful system. St-Honoré is still waiting
for its new radar and new tower.
Grievances
Unfortunately,
the number of grievances and complaints is ever increasing. This is because the
employer tends to use Montreal as a trial bench for implementing new labour
relations policies. The latest “find” in the realm of labour relations has been
the employer’s interpretation of the 05:29 hours start clause.
Grievance
subject matters include:
·
Unwarranted demands for a medical certificate;
·
Schedule adjustments (2)
·
Equitable overtime distribution.
A
meeting at the second level will take place on November 7 to resolve six
grievances which have been outstanding for several months. One grievance is
currently in arbitration, and we expect shortly to find arbitrators for three
or more grievances.
Conclusion
I
would like to take this opportunity to thank Hélène Henry for the work she has done
during her term in contributing to the betterment of our working conditions.
We
vastly under-estimate the scope of the work performed by our unit
representatives. It is very important to give them all the necessary support so
that the position remains rewarding instead of becoming a chore.
Board
Report for the Central Region (FALL 2003)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Well, the contract is finally behind us and although I did not see a single day of negotiations during the 30 months in question I was grateful and reassured by the support received from the membership as reflected in the ratification vote. I was also relieved that the Company tactic of just “saying no to everything” in the end contributed to their detriment. I’m certain they will not try that one again but am just as certain that their next tactic will be just as provocative. As well I am equally assured that the Company will begin their process of interpreting the agreement to the disadvantage of their employees a.k.a. “those people” as is their practice.
I recall that in my first couple of reports to you I was very proud to announce that there were only a few grievances in this Region. Sadly that number has grown to about 12 at present. Although many of the problems within the Region are solved right here at the local levels it appears that any issue involving money or those issues that go against the latest Company interpretations, are to be arbitrated. I am hoping to bring these to a conclusion by the time we are at convention.
Since my last report the ACC has switched to a new communication system VSCS or Voice Switch. As well, Oshawa Tower is now using their newly installed and long overdue NARDS radar displays. The members of Oshawa Tower have demonstrated great patience as well as perseverance in this matter. I am pleased that in the end the UNION was able to convince the Company to finally keep its promise.
Overall I feel that the mood of the membership toward the Company has not improved since my last report nor should it have, based upon their performance and attitudes. On the other hand many of you have expressed satisfaction with the new structure and the new CATCA/CAW. Although I represent you, your call to me puts into motion the entire team for help, advice and reference. The cooperation and the cohesiveness of the BOD prevails as usual with the two new VP’s. This has made us an effective force that I believe serves the members better, faster and more economically.
I am also very happy to report to you that recognition and acknowledgement for our retired members seems to have caught on and increased many times over judging from the monthly retirement luncheons to the individual retirement parties. I find myself happily attending and being advised of more and more of them. Even the Company is starting to catch on and participate with a recent sizable ceremony held at the ACC for a retiring member of 40 plus years. I have always, as you know maintained that no air traffic controller should ever be allowed to simply walk out of the facility on his or her last day without someone making a fuss. I encourage all of you to continue to promote, plan, attend and to fuss over such functions.
At this time I would like to thank and acknowledge the local CATCA reps for their continuous fine work on behalf of our members. The CATCA reps are your first line of defense. Remember the reps are volunteers and are donating their time for you and the Union. Support them as they support you. Help them as they help you. Make their lives easier and when you pass one of them in the hall make sure to acknowledge and thank them for their efforts.
Respectfully
Carl Valitutti
VP Central Region
It has now been just over three months since being elected to the position of Vice President, Prairie Region. I would like to thank the membership for their support, and Tom Yakubowich for the time he dedicated to the union and the sacrifices he made in his personal life to do so.
I completed my regional tour by mid August, having the opportunity to visit all the Branches in the region and getting to meet as many members as possible. It provided me the opportunity to realize the number of issues that are affecting our members.
I made promises to the membership during my campaign, and have begun to work on making good on those promises. A web page has been started that will continue to expand in the future. It can be accessed at: http://members.shaw.ca/prairievp/
A regional newsletter was to be published in Early October, but workload has not permitted me to complete the project prior to the Board of Directors’ meeting. I hope to have that project finished shortly.
I have noticed that very little has changed in labour –management relations in the past two years that I have been absent from the game. Nav Canada still chooses nickels and dimes over good relations. They seem to take particular joy in penny pinching expense claims and issues that involve small sums of money. Seems only fair that a certain airline would choose a battle over bigger coin.
We’ve signed our collective agreement and are starting training for the stewards on its contents. Only through education can we strengthen our union and better protect the interests of our members. The summer is over, and the Company has begun to get busy with its own interpretations of the agreement. I often wonder why we call it an agreement when it seldom seems Nav Canada wants to agree.
I look forward to visiting the Branches again before the Spring Board meeting, and hope to attend all the Branch meetings. I will include a more detailed accounting of my activities in the newsletter.
Elections for many of the Branches are coming up at the end of the year. I encourage members to step up and be counted. If you choose not to run for a position, ensure that your vote counts and participate in the process.
David Doerksen
Vice President, Prairie Region
Fall 2003 Board of Directors Report
(This report covers the period from April 15, 2003 to October 19, 2003)
EXCDS continues to cause problems for the Vancouver Tower Controllers. With continued hard work and patience, these problems should soon be rectified.
Grievances
NAVCANADA’s attempts to reduce the number of grievances have been less than impressive. The grievance process is continually frustrated by NAVCANADA’s bogus attempts to reach fair and equitable settlements. Once again, Air Traffic Controllers throughout Canada may have to demand Federal Government intervention.
CIRB
As of October 19, 2003, the CIRB has continued to be ineffectual. CATCA/CAW Local 5454 has replied to NAVCANADA’s Aeronautical Study but the CIRB continues to dilly-dally and withhold any forward-thinking decisions or recommendations. Only the Chairman of the CIRB knows when this arduous process will be completed and he has neglected to enlighten us with this vital information.
In Solidarity…
Respectfully submitted,
Trevor Johnson
Vice President Pacific