Evidence of meeting #8 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bilingual.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Are these people employed by Air Canada or do they work for other private sector companies?
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
They work for Air Canada.
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
Absolutely. They are teachers.
Bloc
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
Absolutely. They all have a teaching degree.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Air Canada hires teachers. That's good.
As regards levels required to pass the course, are the criteria the same as those in the federal government, the CBC policy, where C is the highest grade? You are familiar with the skill levels: comprehension, writing, oral. So that means someone who passes the course is able to speak coherently and understand anyone in English or French, depending on the language of the course.
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
Our levels are not quite the same.
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
We have levels one to four, where four is the level of a native speaker, which is like an exemption in the government, if I am not mistaken.
In addition, our courses focus on comprehension and oral expression. Writing clearly supports oral expression and there are written exercises. However, as writing is not part of the work our employees do, we do not ask that of them.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
When a complaint is made against one of our employees because he doesn't understand... Over the past year, it has happened to me twice. I do not fly often, because I live in Gatineau. So when I do take the plane it is to participate in parliamentary missions elsewhere. It is very frustrating to be told: "Don't you speak English?" or "What did you say; can you repeat?".
On neither occasion did anyone ask me to wait a moment. That is not how it happened.
You said earlier that there was always a francophone employee on board the aircraft. That is not true, Ms. McEvoy. I am not saying that everything you say is untrue, but that is untrue because there is not always a francophone employee on board and it is not true that the employee will go and get the pilot to know whether or not I want a glass of water or a soft drink. You will have to change your remarks.
When a person is the subject of a complaint—we agree that a complaint serves to improve a person's work—do you meet with that person to tell him he must take a course, given by a specific teacher, to teach him to express himself so that he can serve people?
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
The service director contacts the person and a host of courses is offered to him.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Do some people fall back on their old ways? Are there new complaints, or, once the person who was the subject of a complaint has taken a course, can he simply do as he sees fit without there being any consequences?
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
That is something we analyze on a regular basis. Complaints at Air Canada never target the same employee. This is the first time that we have a complaint, Mr. Godin's, which deals with the same employee on two flights. The employee works for Jazz and not Air Canada.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
There are still some problems. Do you admit that Air Canada still has some problems?
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
That is one of our challenges.
Bloc
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
We are successful in reaching out to many employees. As regards those who work in the airports I listed and who are not qualified, the issue is whether they have received the “Un moment s'il vous plaît” training, which gives them not only some strategies and tricks, but also vocabulary. There are also flight attendants—
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Fine.
I have another question. The report by the Commissioner of Official Languages says that 61% of Air Canada's francophone employees in Ottawa, New Brunswick, and designated bilingual areas of Ontario are dissatisfied with their opportunities to work in their language. Are you aware of that? Have you read the commissioner's report?
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
Yes, I have read the commissioner's report.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
We are talking about 61%. That means 39% are satisfied, and 61% are dissatisfied. And you are telling me that things are going well and that progress is being made.
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
Communication at Air Canada is difficult at all levels. There are many employees, and to make our employees' rights known, we wonder if we have reached everyone and all of the team leaders.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
If I understand correctly, you have people who are not walking the talk. Sixty-one per cent of employees are not happy in highly bilingual zones, or areas recognized as bilingual due to the Canadian situation. There are people who say that bilingualism is good for the Standing Committee on Official Languages: three people are sent to the slaughterhouse, and then you don't hear anything more about it.
Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada
No one has been sent to the slaughterhouse.
General Manager , Languages and Diversity, Employee Relations, Air Canada
No, and as I was saying, bilingualism at Air Canada is the subject of regular communication with employees.