We would like to share some further updates on the recently announced crew base closures for Halifax and Thunder Bay.
- When CUPE were notified of the base closures on Wednesday 14th January, the company committed to sharing the FAQ document with the union prior to releasing it to our impacted members for our input and review. Disappointingly, this commitment was not upheld, and the FAQ was shared prior to union feedback. Moving forward, Local 4061 will continue to field questions and clarifications from the affected members. We remain committed to being the strong advocates for clarity and accuracy in our Halifax and Thunder Bay bases.
- Additionally, CUPE has taken a position in regards to the 60 days notice for base closures in Section 2.3 of the FOAG. We maintain that the 60 day notice should have been submitted to the union once the decision was made by the company to close these crew bases, and with the 16 week notice under the Canada Labour Code submitted at the end of that 60 day period.
- We have begun to work with the company to establish a Joint Planning Committee, as required under the Canada Labour Code, to further plan mitigation strategies during this transition. This will be the main mechanism for advocacy for the concerns and questions impacting our membership.
- A press release has gone out to both Thunder Bay and Halifax media organisations to raise awareness and attention to the impacted communities, inform them of the base closures and provide transparency for how it will impact them.
Our members in Thunder Bay and Halifax remain front of mind and we will continue to advocate and support them during these challenging times.
In Solidarity,
The L4061 Local Executive Committee