Originally Posted by
mileageking
My point is that portion of government subsidies to airlines should go towards keeping pilots, FAs, airport agents at work when it's time to stimulate and accelerate airline industry back to normal and keeping planes off the ground. Direct funds to minimize employee layoffs (who know for how long this can be). It shouldn't go to enrich shareholders or pad profits or executive bonuses during these tough times.
The bailout should not go to shareholders, or executive bonuses, but of those categories of staff, I'd only be worried about bringing pilots back since they need ongoing hours and training to be, er, pilots. Bringing FAs and other agents back a week early for a refresher wouldn't be unreasonable; they don't need X hours a month in a simulator. If AC can't rehire them because they have gotten better jobs elsewhere, well, market at work, sad for AC, good for the employee.
EI, with relaxed requirements (not that any AC employee wouldn't have their hours) and enhanced benefits is the mechanism Canada has as a safety net.