This time it is members of the Machinists (ground handling workers) who have rejected a deal negotiated between their representatives and Air Canada management... http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...s-reject-deal-with-air-canada/article2346717/ How long can an organisation with such dysfunctional employee relations survive? This slow motion train wreck is truly sad to watch.
So....7% wage increase over 3 years plus a one-time 2% payout, reinstatement of paid lunch, and improved vacation time....and they vote it down. While that is disturbing in some ways to me, the bigger issue that is being highlighted is the dysfunctional nature of these unions. This is the 3rd time (pilots, FAs and now machinists) that the union negotiators have agreed with AC and then been veto'd by their membership. All that says to me is that the unions are broken, weak and unorganized. Between that and the seemingly guaranteed (right or wrong) action by the government, I'd be licking my lips if I were AC. Now's the time that one and/or two things could possibly be accomplished: break the union or take them to the cleaners on the agreement.
Not sure what the rank and file want. A 7% wage increase seems to be in line with inflation, especially given this comment - ' “People are really, really frightened about their futures. They’re frustrated with their wages,” IAMAW spokesman Bill Trbovich said in an interview Wednesday. '
My neighbour is a member of this union. He tells me that the anger of the membership stems from the Aveos transfer. The members remaining with AC are frustrated and the vote is a protest against perceived labour manhandling.
Interesting that they will jeopardize their own union to 'protest' the changes that are not going to be unchanged!
Ultimately it would appear the the membership is slightly more dysfunctional than the unions per say. It is odd to see so many agreements negotiated and recommended within the same employer and then turned down though. As someone else pointed out -- tends to point more to a deep labour relations issue and not just a question of the $$.
since the members are the union, seems like a circular firing squad moment. One thing is clear- constant references to labour unrest make flyers look at options- a lose, lose for the union and the company.
Air Canada’s largest union is eager to resume contract talks, requesting a new mediator in a renewed bid to reach a deal while urging members to be patient. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers intends to return to bargaining and has no plans to issue a 72-hour strike notice to coincide with the expiry of a cooling-off period March 15, said Chuck Atkinson, president of IAMAW district lodge 140. “We’ve asked the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to assist us with bargaining by assigning a mediator to help us,” he said. The former mediator was Louise Otis, a retired judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal. Mr. Atkinson added in an interview Tuesday that he’s concerned about “misinformation” being posted by some employees on Facebook. “The attention span of a lot of people is very tight instead of taking the time to read through things and understand them. The short and sweet – and the rumour mill – tends to control a lot of what’s going on,” he said. In an internal memo to union members, Mr. Atkinson said it’s important for employees to do their homework when examining labour issues. Last week, IAMAW members rejected a tentative agreement reached Feb. 10, with concerns lingering over wages, pension reform, scheduling of night shifts and mandatory overtime. “The frequent misuse of the social media has amplified this discontent by circulating misinformation and speculation about the ‘truth.’ The ‘truth’ isn’t found on a Facebook site,” he wrote. “It’s found by attending information/union meetings and speaking to those who, for the last nine months, attended face-to-face meetings with the employer: Your bargaining representatives.” The 8,600-member IAMAW represents mechanics, baggage handlers, cargo agents, aircraft cleaners and electricians. Separately, Ms. Otis resigned Monday as co-mediator in labour talks between management and the Air Canada Pilots Association. “We are concerned about the threat posed by labour disruptions to passengers, trade and the economy,” federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said in a statement. “That is why the government provided an extended mediation period to the parties. And the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service remain available to both parties to help them reach a negotiated agreement.” Captain Rick Allen, Air Canada’s senior director of flight operations, said in a memo to pilots last week that he has been generally impressed by the decorum displayed by ACPA members during contract talks. But he said he’s noticed a small number of incidents such as unauthorized stickers showing up at aircraft entrances or inside the washrooms of planes. Members of ACPA’s bargaining team said in a newsletter on the weekend that they are “committed to getting a negotiated deal,” but cautioned “we need to see more evidence that the company shares this view.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/air-canadas-airport-workers-seek-new-mediator/article2353151/?utm_medium=Feeds: RSS/Atom&utm_source=Globe Investor&utm_content=2353151
