Air Canada announces date for closure of Winnipeg call centre
Oct 17, 2014, 6:06 am
#1
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,449
Air Canada announces date for closure of Winnipeg call centre
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bus...279533392.html
Air Canada has set a date for the closure of its Winnipeg call centre.
The airline has informed its employees the call centre will cease operations in just more than two years.
The 76 workers and the union that represents them -- Unifor -- have known since last fall the centre would be wound down over time due to changing technology. But they hadn't been given a specific date for the closure.
In an email sent to the Free Press on Thursday, and in a letter earlier this week to the workers, the airline said that date has now been set -- Dec. 31, 2016.
Air Canada has set a date for the closure of its Winnipeg call centre.
The airline has informed its employees the call centre will cease operations in just more than two years.
The 76 workers and the union that represents them -- Unifor -- have known since last fall the centre would be wound down over time due to changing technology. But they hadn't been given a specific date for the closure.
In an email sent to the Free Press on Thursday, and in a letter earlier this week to the workers, the airline said that date has now been set -- Dec. 31, 2016.
Oct 17, 2014, 6:14 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,449
Oct 17, 2014, 8:46 am
#6
Flying Blue Director
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,864
Just before this gets off to a rocky start, some stats:
This closure was announced a year ago and this week we just set the target closure date of 31DEC16, so it won't take effect for a while.
Also, anyone who leaves YWG is replaced elsewhere, so no link to hold time whatsoever. We just opened a new state of the art call centre in YUL and are almost doubling the size of the YSJ one, so this too should negate any effects.
Other call centres are in YSJ, YUL, YYZ and TPA. We have several international ones but we are in the process of revamping all of them, so I won't mention specifics here.
This closure was announced a year ago and this week we just set the target closure date of 31DEC16, so it won't take effect for a while.
Also, anyone who leaves YWG is replaced elsewhere, so no link to hold time whatsoever. We just opened a new state of the art call centre in YUL and are almost doubling the size of the YSJ one, so this too should negate any effects.
Other call centres are in YSJ, YUL, YYZ and TPA. We have several international ones but we are in the process of revamping all of them, so I won't mention specifics here.
Oct 17, 2014, 11:54 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: YFC
Programs: AC*SE100K; Marriott Titanium; NEXUS
Posts: 1,523
... While it's always unfortunate when you have to close an operation, affecting peoples lives, etc., it's good to see AC re-invests other areas--undoubtedly where it sees some efficiencies can be gained. My observation is not scientific in any way, but when I do know what Centre I'm on the phone with, I've noted that I've never had bad experiences with the YSJ one. This has not been the case of some others. I should say though I have no opinion on YWG.
Last edited by YQMer; Oct 17, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Oct 17, 2014, 12:07 pm
#8
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9780; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.666 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
I'd be curious to know how this will improve on-hold wait times.
Originally Posted by Prewrappedbacon
I'd be curious to know where the international call centres are.
Oct 17, 2014, 12:41 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: cyyz
Programs: ac ELITE,aa,nwa, Priority Club
Posts: 373
Oct 17, 2014, 12:48 pm
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
Oct 17, 2014, 1:31 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
I would suggest, since the cost to AC would be virtually nil, that these people get offered placement at another call center. Odds are most will just stay in YWG and look for a new job (full credit for the length of time, more than a full year to find a new job) but it might be a great opportunity for some of these people to take a free flight and move to YUL or YSJ if they decided that adventure was worth it, plus then they'd have a job already waiting for them. If I were in that situation, I'd jump at a chance for a free move with a job placement in YUL, specially a job I already knew how to do!
Oct 17, 2014, 2:09 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Never home.
Posts: 2,971
I would suggest, since the cost to AC would be virtually nil, that these people get offered placement at another call center. Odds are most will just stay in YWG and look for a new job (full credit for the length of time, more than a full year to find a new job) but it might be a great opportunity for some of these people to take a free flight and move to YUL or YSJ if they decided that adventure was worth it, plus then they'd have a job already waiting for them. If I were in that situation, I'd jump at a chance for a free move with a job placement in YUL, specially a job I already knew how to do!
They have 'free' flights all the time so AC obviously wouldn't mind if they used their existing benefits to relocate
, and it would save them huge amounts of retraining costs and frustration from inexperienced agents.Is a call centre employee valued by AC at X $1000s for moving all of their belongings across the country by truck/AC Cargo too though... I wonder what the union has negotiated.
Oct 18, 2014, 2:55 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
I'd think they are offered movement elsewhere, particularly since they are unionized (along with all other call centre employees?).
They have 'free' flights all the time so AC obviously wouldn't mind if they used their existing benefits to relocate, and it would save them huge amounts of retraining costs and frustration from inexperienced agents.
Is a call centre employee valued by AC at X $1000s for moving all of their belongings across the country by truck/AC Cargo too though... I wonder what the union has negotiated.
They have 'free' flights all the time so AC obviously wouldn't mind if they used their existing benefits to relocate
, and it would save them huge amounts of retraining costs and frustration from inexperienced agents.Is a call centre employee valued by AC at X $1000s for moving all of their belongings across the country by truck/AC Cargo too though... I wonder what the union has negotiated.
Maybe then if they do get benefits I'd say the airline could give them a confirmed ticket, just to save them the problem of being at an airport all day waiting for YWG-YUL space to open up haha
Oct 18, 2014, 3:06 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: Star Alliance G*, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium,
Posts: 3,585
what about AC building & enormous sign?
What is going to become of the big "Air Canada" sign on the building on Portage Avenue? Is the building & the sign going to disappear as well?
Oct 18, 2014, 3:42 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,804