September 16, 2021
Resumption of Seniority Bid and Trainee Recall
With restrictions to travel progressively lifting and air traffic levels increasing faster than predicted by the Company, a need to re-start training has become a priority for NAV Canada. While CATCA has always maintained that training should have never been halted, we have been engaged in discussions with the Company for some time now to focus on several issues including the re-hire of terminated trainees to resume their training, the national seniority bid for 2022, and addressing previously deferred seniority bids.
These discussions have been fruitful and CATCA has come to an agreement on these matters with the Company as follows:
Re-hire and Resumption of Training for Terminated Students
NAV Canada has contacted all persons on the trainee recall list and approximately 90% have responded positively at the opportunity to be re-hired into the training stream. Plans are currently being executed to resume training as soon as possible for some of these individuals and should be communicated by the Company shortly.
National Seniority Bid 2022
In conjunction with the return of trainees, CATCA has come to an agreement with NAV Canada to re-start the national seniority bid process for training opportunities in calendar year 2022. The agreement stipulates that 50% of all IFR training opportunities being offered in each individual unit/specialty across the country will be available for CATCA members to bid. This is a significant change from past national seniority bid programs where the Company had the ability to pick and choose what seats were available in the IFR environment as long as 50% were offered to CATCA members. For example, if 20 training opportunities were available across the country, 50% of the opportunities available to CATCA members were concentrated in select areas, while other locations that had training opportunities were not available to bid on, and would be offered to new hires instead of CATCA members. For the 2022 National Seniority Bid, every location for which there is a training opportunity, will have 50% of those opportunities available to eligible members. In the tower environment we remind members that for the upcoming 2022 seniority bid year NAV Canada owns all seats in grade 1, 2, and 3 towers as per the last round of collective bargaining. For Grade 4 or higher towers CATCA still owns 100% of the seats. This contractual obligation ends on December 31 of 2022 at which time the normal practice of 100% of all tower seats reverts back to CATCA members.
Previously Deferred Seniority Bids
As we work through the return to a normal operation, we recognize staffing numbers will increase as the current requirements set by NAV Canada are not set at 100% of requirements for traffic return. With this in mind RVP’s and GM’s have had, or will have, discussions surrounding deferred training opportunities. If you are currently deferred and have questions, please reach out to your RVP.
In Solidarity,
Doug Best Scott Loder
President Executive Vice President
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