Bulletin #41-EFAP PROGRAM UPDATE

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Air Canada has agreed to keep the full-time regional positions in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Further, they have agreed to recognize the importance of the peer reps within the workplace.
As of November 1, 2022, all IAMAW members of Air Canada were added to the Air Canada eligibility list at Lifeworks. Anyone seeking counselling can contact Lifeworks, and you will be set up with a practitioner in your area.
The phone number for Lifeworks is 1-844-880-9142.

In solidarity,
Derrick Bashford
National Coordinator
Transportation District 140
Employee and Family Assistance Program

Bulletin #36 Air Canada EFAP Program Update

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As the National Coordinator of your IAWAM Employee and Family Assistance Program, I never expected to write this bulletin. However, due to the changes made by the Government of Canada, the IAMAW disability structure with Air Canada, no longer qualifies for the Employment Insurance Rebate that has funded our program for the past 20-plus years.

EFAP UPDATE FOR IAMAW MEMBERS

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On April 28, 2022, PDGC Dave Flowers and I met with Air Canada regarding EAP Funding. Due to a change made by the Government of Canada, Air Canada and the IAMAW no longer qualify for the Government’s Employee Insurance Reduction Plan. The EI Reduction plan has funded the EFAP for the past 20 years.
Before January of 2021, companies applying for the EI Reduction required a Short-Term Disability plan (STD) that commenced after the fourteenth day of leave. The Government changed the eligibility to those companies with STD programs that begin after the seventh day. For this reason, the EFAP did not receive funding for the 2021 year.
For many years, our members have enjoyed the comfort of chatting to a peer for assistance with their concerns. Sometimes this was a need to vent about the work environment. Other members’ needs were far more intricate and required the help of a professional. The EFAP has helped our members at all hours without fail, and the team of caring individuals wants to continue to support our friends and colleagues. Currently, there is enough funding to continue our EFAP work. However, our program will terminate early next year without additional EI Reduction monies. I have met with the Negotiations Committee about their thoughts on bargaining to change our current STD to the required seven days. I didn’t receive any indication if the committee would pursue this line of negotiation or not. Also, I am not sure that Air Canada will want to negotiate this item.
Air Canada has offered to add IAMAW members to the company-funded EAP they use. The program consists of LifeWorks and Maple’s online app. LifeWorks is an equal program to Homewood, and Maple is essentially a 24/7 online medical walk-in clinic. We are unaware if the union members you know, and trust, will have a role in this program. Given our forty-plus years of working with our members, I believe our program exceeds anything the company can offer.
I realize this bulletin may generate many questions. Questions that we may not have the answers to right now. I will continue to update as I have more information. Today, we are business as usual, and your EFAP is still available to you for the foreseeable future.
In Solidarity,
Derrick Bashford
National EFAP Coordinator Transportation District 140, IAMAW

Bulletin 053|EFAP – To all Air Canada IAMAW Members on Unpaid Leave

Dear Brothers and Sisters:In my previous bulletin #49, I made a statement regarding members on unpaid leave.That statement read:“With all the retirement packages, leaves of absence and layoffs, an updated list will besubmitted to Homewood December 31, 2021. From that point, only active members willbe covered by Homewood.”• I will supply Homewood with an updated …
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EFAP Bulletin

Dear colleagues, On behalf of EFAP, I am proud to advise you that we have decided to extend our free 3rd party counselling service (Homewood) until the end of this year (December 31, 2021).This service is free (EFAP) and available to all IAMAW members who are active, on ODS or lay-off status.  Of course, active …
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