*****

Are you in contract negotiations of some kind?

Saving C$7 million is not insignificant. If I had a worldwide system and took the attitude that C$7 million at one large station was insignificant, I might leave tens of millions of dollars on the table. It's not like AC is making bundles of profit.

Yeah, negotiations are going ahead, its more $6 million cdn , than 7, but when we are forcefed figures of almost $2 billion cash reserves at ACE, we cant understand the decisions.

Guess we feel let down, especially when Mr Milton, and Mr brewer dont even come over to explain, in person their actions.

Ok, alot of the people affected will never be of management thinking, but at bottom level, theyve lost the sense of loyalty from Air Canada, that they showed during the dark years of chapter 11.

Maybe we`ll be better off, but anyone who arrived on the 858/ 14th Feb (arrived LHR 15th Feb), would testify, services definetly took a turn for the worse.

We have no way of venting our dispair at anyone or anything thru the company, guess this is an outlet, informing the people in advance, those that actually contribute to the airline, financially.

LostBagMan

Every airline, dare I say every business, has cash reserves. Air Canada also has obligations to buy billions of dollars worth of aircraft - AC will acquire much more than $2 billion in aircraft.

Furthermore, I understand that the companies that could take over the work would take you all on with your current terms and conditions.

However, even though the issue hasn't been decided, and your unions are meeting with the company soon, you collectively have decided to punish the customers, and you are promising them worse service in the future even though you will be the same people the the job for the same wages and benefits.



ADDENDUM:

I further understand that the new employer would also have to maintain contributions to your pension plan and honor all past service as if you were still working for AC.

I just don't see how this affects you except that you won't be an AC employee and might handle other airlines, depending on how you are assigned.

People lose jobs outright. Thousands of AC employees have been packaged out or severenced out in recent years. You seem to come off rather well with this possible arrangement and you even admit it might work out fine, but you are already threatening customers.

That's a crock, go onto ACAeronet and vent on Montie's blog like everyone else.

As an SE passenger who collects AE miles as well,......

Monties blog is heavily monitored, doubt comments would get thru, ill give it a go, tho.

It's monitored but not censored as long as you don't get abusive. Much better idea than coming here and threatening our customers with crappy service.

Just a thought - but it's all how you approach the situation. If you post on the blog as adverserial as you did here, then there's no way you'd be taken seriously. If you're constructive, then you're bound to be listened to.

That's what I've seen in my company - I assume AC would operate the same.

I'd also suggest that LostBagMan tell us why the proposal is bad. The workers keep their wages, benefits and pensions intact. I know down the road they might not do as well if there are no wage increases, but the airline industry is a crapshoot. He might do better with the new arrangement.

Now, I know why the unions would object because they might lose union dues, depending on whether the new employers have the same or different unions.

IMO,your view is fair and on point.^

Moderation of Montie's blog is probably outsourced to India...

we are used to it

Just kidding before the RANT starts

Like crappy service from AC is out of the norm.

It's sad that AC's own employees have to resort to posting their frustration on FT regarding more AC's penny pinching. (Mind you it's a change from all the PR work some do here on FT) Well at least AC is not only penny pinching from their pax they are also digging into the pockets of their own employee's.

Admit that the major perk I see the ground staff losing is the cheap employee flights, the rest seemed to be protected, at least in the short term.

I have had some great staff at LHR and some not so good ones. With the raise/doubling of UK airport taxes, I am rethinking my strategy of connecting in LHR to catch up with friends. That kind of thinking may have more of an impact on the luggage handling volumes since traffic will drop. If I want to visit friends, I would more likely to fly directly to Europ now and connect back to UK since the short haul Y tax for EU is far less than transatlantic. I would be down to 1 trip a year to UK perhaps rather than 4 last year and 3 the year before.

I had to admit I have to laugh that 1-2 years ago a Conceirge (I think she was new) met our plane in LHR since 2 SEs has their bagges delayed from a YOW-YYZ-LHR short connection in YYZ due to delay in outbound from YOW. My bag was Missing in Action too from the same connection but she would not help me since I was E only and reluctant said I can seek help in the arrivals lounge. I think it is short sighted of her since I did make SE last year, admitted with MR but I don't feel the need to make SE again since E is fine for my needs, especially with the downgraded SE benefits recently. I could have made SE in 2004 when I was working out in NZ since I did fly 100K but some poor service early in 2004 and CCRA lead me to make the decision to split my business 3 wasy so I ended up with 50K on AC, 25K on NW and 25K on AA/Qantas for status on 3 alliances.