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Our new Collective Agreement is available and can be downloaded here!

The Union filed three grievances on changes in 2023 to the AC sick day policy:

CHQ-23-38 - Blanket Requests for Medical Substantiation

CHQ-23-42 - Calculation of Absence

CHQ-24-18 - Deduction but non-payment of Canada Labour Code/Collective Agreement days


The matter proceeded to arbitration, and on October 21, 2025, Chief Arbitrator Kaplan issued his decision allowing all three grievances. He found that Air Canada must provide a reason for requesting medical documentation from members when they are absent from work on sick leave. Air Canada cannot automatically request medical documentation from members when they are absent for five days or more.

In addition, Chief Arbitrator Kaplan determined that Air Canada cannot include RDOs in its calculation of absenteeism.

Finally, Chief Arbitrator Kaplan determined that Air Canada cannot deduct a sick day from a member’s sick leave bank without paying them, stating “Air Canada must pay members for sick days”.

Chief Arbitrator Kaplan remitted remedial issues back to the Parties and remains seized. This means that the Union and the Company will work through the details and remedies involved in the implementation of his award. The Company and Union must agree on a process for either not deducting a sick day for an RDO or paying the RDO. They have not yet decided on a process, when that is finalized, a notice will be sent out and, if necessary, retro active changes made.

An onboard crew break is the time allocated to eat meals and/or relax during the flight - not to sleep.

As of June 4, 2024, due to changes to the Canada Labour Code, employees are entitled to a break of 30 minutes during every period of 5 consecutive hours of work. The break can be divided into two periods of 15 minutes. Existing standards regarding onboard breaks (e.g., when/where they can be taken) apply to these breaks.

Please note that this new legislative change will only apply to flights that do not have crew rest already provided for under the Collective Agreement.

The legislative changes allow Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge to split the breaks into two 15-minute periods if you are not able to take a 30-minute break.

This is a minimum standard, as per the Canada Labour Code, and every effort should be made to take your break, the reality being this may be a challenge due to service guidelines and staffing levels onboard.

The Component has set up a form (https://accomponent.ca/crew-break-concerns/) for you to report the inability to take your break, please report all compliance issues here.



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LOU28 - CREW BREAKS
Flights scheduled or re-forecasted on day of departure of 7:01hrs-8:00hrs gate to gate

Cabin Crew may sleep for up to one (1) hour
Cabin Crew may sleep in last sold seats if available
If Crew Rest Unit (CRU) is available crew may only sleep in the CRU/OFAR
The service sequence may not be modified
Bunk kits will not be provisioned on aircraft with a CRU/OFAR


Flights scheduled or re-forecasted on day of departure of 8:01hrs-11:29hrs gate to gate

Cabin Crew may sleep for one (1) hour
Cabin Crew may sleep in last sold seats if available
If Crew Rest Unit (CRU) is available crew may only sleep in the CRU/OFAR
The service sequence may be modified to provide the crew their full break period
Bunk kits will be provisioned on aircraft with a CRU/OFAR for the flight(s) within the pairing that are 8:01hrs-11:29hrs

LOU 61
On A330 and A321XLR non-crew bunk equipped aircraft operating flights which have a
scheduled block to block flight time of greater than 7:30 hours but less than 11:30
hours, the Company will dedicate a bank of economy class seats for crew rest
purposes. The location of these seats will be determined by the Company.
Cabin Personnel may sleep in the bank of dedicated economy class seats for a
maximum of one (1) hour per crew member.

The use of these seats to sleep shall not in any way interfere with cabin service.

No more than two (2) Cabin Personnel may sleep at any one time. The Company shall
use best efforts to install a curtain for privacy which, if installed, must be used by Cabin
Personnel when the seats are in use. Signs or makeshift curtains are not permitted.

Letters of Understanding 27 and 28 shall not apply when dedicated crew rest seats
have been provided in accordance with the foregoing.

B14, LOU18, LOU22A, LOU22B, LOU 60.04.06 - CREW REST

Rest periods have been negotiated for long range flying and are as follows:
B14 two (2) hours of rest

– LOU18 a minimum of two and a half (2.5) hours of rest for a duty day up to 14:59hrs
LOU18 four (4) hours of rest for a duty day 15:00hrs or greater

– LOU22A four (4) hours of rest for a duty day up to 17:10hrs
LOU22A four and a half (4.5) hours for a duty day 17:11hrs or greater

– LOU22B five (5) hours of rest for a duty day up to 18:45hrs
– LOU22B five and a half (5.5) hours of rest for a duty day 18:46hrs or greater

The service specifications may be modified for crew to obtain their full contractual break/rest times. In such cases, the SD should submit an a report stating that the service sequence was modified so that the crew can obtain their contractual break/rest times.

Meal breaks are to be taken separately from the on board crew rest.
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The Company will designate the longe range flying article or LOU on a monthly basis before bidding closes. You can verify the designated article/LOU of each long range pairing in Aeronet:->Crew scheduling & planning ->Bidding tools and information ->Monthly duty summary or ->Monthly "whats new"


With the exception of (**) LOU28 flights of 7:01hrs-8:00hrs, the service specifications may need to be modified for crew to obtain their full contractual break/rest times. In such cases, the SD should submit an eOBR simply stating that the service sequence was modified so that the crew can obtain their contractual break/rest times. Ensure to share this OBR with your local union office. If there is a manager onboard, report this service modification to them.
If you are told anything different in respect to contractual crew rest by an Air Canada manager, please share this information with your local union.

For other types of flying, your break time is as follows from the Canada Labour Code.

Break

169.1 (1) Every employee is entitled to and shall be granted an unpaid break of at least 30 minutes during every period of five consecutive hours of work. If the employer requires the employee to be at their disposal during the break period, the employee must be paid for the break.
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Crew Bunk Kits

YYC
Bunk kits will be provisioned (outbound only) in YYC for flights to LHR
and bunk kits will be provisioned in LHR for flights to YYC

YVR
Bunk kits will be provisioned (outbound only) in YVR for flights to LHR
and bunk kits will be provisioned in LHR for flights to YVR

YYZ
Bunk kits will be provisioned in LHR for the LHR-BOM flights
Bunk kits will be provisioned in BOM for the BOM-LHR flights