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1:40 Campaign – What happens now?

 

AIR CANADA COMPONENT

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

 

 

Dear members,

 

Last Thursday, on May 22nd, we met with officials with Transport Canada to present our objections and arguments against their proposed regulatory change (NPA – to consult it click HERE http://gallery.mailchimp.com/f6750312d5/files/5a08042b-48e8-48a2-88e3-4536caa1f04a.pdf), which will allow airlines in Canada to flip-flop between the 1:40 ratio and the 1:50 ratio at will, per aircraft type.

 

It is fair to say that we took Transport Canada by surprise last Thursday – a sizable crowd participated in this meeting from across Canada, including over 125 CUPE flight attendants, members of the news media, members of Parliament, and allies representing different groups. We expressed our views forcefully and eloquently, and clearly demonstrated that passenger safety would be compromised if this regulation were approved.

 

During our presentation, we had hoped to screen our newly recorded video testimonial of a survivor of the Air France 358 accident, which supports our position, but Transport Canada prevented us from doing so. If you would like to see this video, please click HERE

 

Furthermore, if you would like to see a recently rediscovered short documentary produced by CUPE in the 1980's that presents a clear case for maintaining the 1:40 ratio, click HERE

You will be amazed at the timeliness of the content, and at the undeniable truths that come from the mouths of Canadian flight attendants who survived airplane accidents.

 

Another video is currently circulating which features a photomontage of graphic visual examples of why the 1:40 ratio should be maintained. You can see this video HERE

 

We would encourage you to share the above videos using your own personal networks and social media.

 

The May 22nd session was a learning experience for all of us. It was evident that Transport Canada is determined to give our airlines an unprecedented luxury, which no other country on the planet has. With the flip flop regulation, airlines will be allowed to pick whichever FA ratio leads to the fewest FAs per aircraft type, and then change the ratio whenever it suits the airline’s configuration or financial priorities, with only 60 days notice. TC was also extremely disrespectful to the two NDP MPs who took the time to attend ("the Minister will answer your question") and was unresponsive to many of us who highlighted the negative impact of the proposal on our work and safety ("noted" or some other equally evasive response like "trust us").

 

We were very successful in obtaining wide news coverage, and had the opportunity to engage the media in print, radio and live television. The quote from TC Cabin Safety inspector Christopher Dann was priceless, and found its way in the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, amongst others: The safety level afforded by 1 in 50 "can't be equivalent" to the 1 in 40. With this quote, we have put TC on the defensive.

 

Here are a few great examples of some of the media we received:

 

TELEVISION - RADIO

Globe and Mail video report

CTV National News

TVA nouvelles en direct

CBC Radio

 

WRITTEN PRESS

CTV News

Vancouver Sun

Globe and Mail

Toronto Star

CBC News

 

 

 

Here is our plan going forward, and this is where we need your continued help:

We will be submitting a comprehensive dissent to the NPA, emphasizing that it is less than what we have today, is unprecedented in the world and has not be proven to be workable or enforceable by Transport Canada, among other such general arguments. Where there are good "mitigating factors", we will endorse them and urge them to be put in place regardless of the FA ratio. Where the "mitigating factors" are ineffective, we will say so and describe the changes that are needed. In addition, we will be re-working our PowerPoint presentation as a separate written submission on what the NPA does not address in the real world of flight attendant work, emergencies and evacuations.

Transport Canada will be receiving comments regarding the proposed regulatory change up until June 23, 2014. Please send them your thoughts and opinions. Comments can be sent to: CARRAC@tc.gc.ca and please also send a copy to CUPE Researcher Janet Dassinger: jdassinger@cupe.ca to allow us to keep track of them. All of your comments are valuable and should be on the record. There should be emphasis on how the NPA will negatively impact passenger and our safety, particularly on narrow body aircraft but also on wide body aircraft if the airlines are successful in blocking the minimum floor level coverage provision for 1 in 40 operations. Please also request that Transport Canada hold another meeting to allow for further discussion on this important matter.

For all submitters, please conclude your submission with the following statement: "I request a written response to my questions and comments before pre-publication of any such regulation in Canada Gazette Part I by return e-mail".

Encourage others you may know to make submissions as well on the problems with this NPA. Feel free to have others sign on to your comments so it is coming from more than you alone.

Finally, please use your written comments to seek out a meeting with your MP if you have not already done so. State your concerns and stress that what is being proposed in the NPA is less safe than what we have today (as admitted by TC's own Christopher Dann); it is a unique rule that does not meet the international standard despite what Minister Raitt has said; there are no real "mitigating factors" that can compensate for a missing FA; and all of this Transport Canada rule-making must be subjected to a Parliamentary Inquiry.

 

Together we will make a difference.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Michel Cournoyer

President

Air Canada Component of CUPE

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