The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has rejected an emergency application by Canada 3000 to sever the Royal Aviation wing of their airline. The airline had argued that they needed to dump Royal and fire all flight attendants and pilots from the former Royal.
CUPE vigorously opposed the companys application, urging the Board to order the company back to the negotiating table, where discussions about how to mitigate the companys economic losses might continue. The union has said that we are willing to work with the company to find ways to execute temporary layoffs in order to save the company. The Board concurred with CUPE and the other unions that the company must get back to the table.
We consider it a victory that the Board has rejected the companys attempt to terminate all employees from the former Royal. Had the Board given the company what they sought, 500 flight attendants from the former Royal would have lost their jobs this morning with no right of recall these would have been permanent terminations.
Since the Board issued its ruling this morning, CUPE has been working hard on proposals regarding layoffs, cross-training, workshare agreements, and leaves of absence. The company has said that time is of the essence; Angus Kinnear, CEO of Canada 3000 has met several times in the last two days with his board of directors, with whom he is discussing the possibility of declaring bankruptcy or putting the company into receivership.
CUPE has made it clear that we will do what we can to help save our jobs and this airline. We are asking the company to negotiate with us in good faith. They have said that we have a matter of hours, not days, in which to reach an agreement with them. Please know that your union is doing all that is possible to reach an agreement with them and to save your jobs.
Our negotiations are ongoing this afternoon please check the website at www.airdiv-cupe.org for updates. We commit to getting information out to you as quickly as we can under the current circumstances and very tight negotiating deadlines.