Banff, AB – Delegates to the Transportation District Lodge 140 convention have gathered in Canadian Rockies this week to elect a new president and secretary-treasurer.
Incumbent President and Directing General Chairperson Fred Hospes told delegates that the district has returned to a firm financial platform. He also informed delegates about the bad faith bargaining charge laid against Air Canada last week. Hospes said the airline deliberately misled the IAM bargaining team and the arbitrator during last year’s bargaining session regarding the health of the Air Canada pension plan. The IAM has 1200 Air Canada members who have reached the maximum cap on their pensionable earnings. The union is seeking a $10,000 cap increase but the airline at the time said the plan couldn’t afford it and it would cost the airline too much money. “We have discovered the pension plan is 124 per cent funded and could handle this request without penalty to the employer,” said Hospes. “In fact, Air Canada announced it would take a pension contribution holiday for all of 2016. So it was clear they hid facts from us and we took appropriate action.”
The conference also gave Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall a chance to address delegates. He praised the district for answering the call for political action and applauded the participation of DL140 members in lobbying efforts in Ottawa regarding changes to the Air Canada Public Participation Act. “We didn’t get the result we wanted but the members of parliament and the senate now certainly know who the Machinists are — and your members are a big part of that,” said Pickthall.
International President Bob Martinez applauded the membership and their representatives for the work they do in Ottawa and at the bargaining table. ”Your people are the smartest and most sophisticated membership in our union. They’re smart enough to know when to dig in and when to settle,” explained Martinez.
Nominations for the two positions and the elections are slated for late this afternoon.
