Evidence of meeting #53 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was jazz.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

David Rheault  Senior Director, Government Affairs and Community Relations, Air Canada
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler  Vice President, Human Resources, Air Canada
Serge Corbeil  Director, Government Relations, Western Region, Air Canada
Chantal Dugas  General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada
Marie-Josée Pagé  Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Francis Manfredi  In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Christine Holke
Lucie Lecomte  Committee Researcher

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Okay. Thank you. I want to talk about complaints now. This topic interests me.

What percentage of complaints relate to Air Canada, and what percentage are about Jazz?

12:35 p.m.

Senior Director, Government Affairs and Community Relations, Air Canada

David Rheault

I don't have that data to hand, but I could say that Air Canada transports many more passengers, since we have bigger planes. Since we have a much higher level of activity, the number of complaints we receive in absolute numbers may be higher. Consider, for instance, that an Air Canada plane may hold up to 450 passengers, whereas the largest Jazz airplanes can only carry 50.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Perhaps you could give us an example.

Could you send us that data?

12:35 p.m.

Senior Director, Government Affairs and Community Relations, Air Canada

David Rheault

Yes, we will make the necessary verifications and we will follow up.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

The table my colleague referred to shows an interesting increase. However, I am concerned that from 2010 to 2013 there was little increase. I am happy with the current results. Obviously, something had to happen as there were indeed deficiencies between 2010 and 2013. The difference between 2010 and 2013 and the period from 2013 to today is enormous. I congratulate you; something needed to be done.

I would like to know what caused such an improvement. I'm referring here to the actions you took.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Mr. Samson, I'm going to have to give the floor to Mr. Généreux if I want to respect everyone's speaking time. Perhaps the witness could reply to your question at another time.

Mr. Généreux, you have the floor.

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I also thank the witnesses for being here with us. I would like all of the witnesses to be able to speak when they come to meet with us.

Ms. Dugas, you have not had an opportunity to do so up till now.

Where is your name?

I have questions and I want to make sure I address them to the right person.

March 23rd, 2017 / 12:40 p.m.

Chantal Dugas General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

It is on the third line.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

So your title is “General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity”.

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

You have a linguistic action plan for 2015-2017, and so it is being applied currently. I would be tempted to joke that the president's visit had an impact. I think that at the time a lot of measures were already in effect, or about to be.

I get the sense that he may have told you to make sure that he never again has to come before the Standing Committee on Official Languages, because he did not like his experience the last time.

I must congratulate you, as Mr. Arseneault did, for everything that has been put in place over the last months since your last appearance. We can see an obvious difference, especially in these tables, which are revealing.

There is an action plan for 2015-2017, but is another one already in the works?

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

Chantal Dugas

We have not begun drafting the plan but I would say that that is a continuous process. As you said, we put certain things in place. We are also able to measure what seems to work well and what functions less well. This tells us where we need to focus our efforts.

As the year progresses, we take note of all this, so that at the end of the year we have an updated plan that takes new realities and the progress we have made into account.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Do you usually have two-year plans? Is that how you normally work?

12:40 p.m.

Senior Director, Government Affairs and Community Relations, Air Canada

David Rheault

They are three-year plans.

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

Chantal Dugas

The standard plan is for three years.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Do you have tools to compare the 2013-2015 and 2015-2017 plans? From one plan to the other, are you in a position to be able to make comparisons?

There are a few figures in there, but let's imagine that the employees are taking continuous training. I think you have continuous training plans.

If they reach an even higher level of bilingualism over time, does that allow them to access higher positions, or other types of positions?

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

Chantal Dugas

Certainly, if a flight attendant or even a member of the airport staff becomes bilingual and qualifies, that will allow him or her to have access to certain work shifts they would not have had before had they not been bilingual.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Fine.

Are the courses the employees take paid for by the company, or do the employees pay for them?

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

Chantal Dugas

It varies according to the groups of employees. Some employees take training during work hours and are remunerated. Others take classes outside of their work hours. After they have accumulated a certain number of hours of training, they receive an amount of money. Things vary from one group to another.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

How come you have different groups?

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

Chantal Dugas

That is due to the agreements that are negotiated.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

With unions?

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

How would you characterize the current union-management agreements? If I am not mistaken, the last time you said that an agreement had just been signed.

12:40 p.m.

General Manager, Linguistic Affairs and Diversity, Air Canada

Chantal Dugas

Yes. We signed an agreement with the union that represents the airport agents in order to standardize the offer, or rather to see to it that in all of the airports across the country, according to the number of agents who need to take training, a minimum number of hours will be provided, and also to determine who should have priority when people want to take training.