Bulletin
Avis – COVID-19 and WorkShare Update
June 2, 2020
To: All MoveUP members at Avis
We hope you are all doing as well as possible in these difficult times.
As we all continue to face the issues raised by COVID-19, MoveUP is working to ensure that your interests are represented and the employer meets its obligations. Valuable information on the pandemic continues to be available at https://moveuptogether.ca/the-latest/covid-19-resource-page-flatten-the-curve/. We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.
Your union has continued to be in contact with the employer and your job stewards as we work to address issues as they arise. Not surprisingly, many of the issues that have arisen are new territory for all involved.
British Columbia has done an excellent job of flattening the curve and I am sure we are all hoping this will continue. Unfortunately, other parts of the world have not done the same and the car rental business is of course highly dependent on travel. This will mean that it will take longer for the industry to recover in general as borders will remain closed and consumer and business confidence will have a negative effect on travel. However, we are starting to see a slight increase in domestic travel as British Columbia remains a top tourist destination within Canada for those willing to travel. We are hopeful that this will lead to an increase in hours and layoff recalls.
Union membership always pays off in terms of better wages and benefits. It also pays off during times of turmoil. A collective bargaining agreement is designed to offer protection during good and bad times. The current state that the car rental industry finds itself in is not a reflection of the work done by our members. Your union will be working to ensure that our members are not being punished for things that are beyond our control. We will work to provide our members with the rights that have been earned through successive rounds of collective bargaining.
For those participating in WorkShare, the program has proven to be very frustrating. The unwillingness of the government to back date the program followed by delays in approval and now delays in payments have made things very difficult. Your union has contacted the WorkShare representative and we have been advised that the most recent delay was due to a two week absence of the Payment Officer. We have been further advised that the payments should be completed by June 3rd. We will continue to monitor the situation and advocate as required.
If you have questions about the above or anything else please contact Shawn at .
In solidarity,
Shawn Lakusta, Union Representative
Christy Slusarenko, Vice-President of Combined Units