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Update #2 – Halifax and Thunder Bay Base Closures

We would like to share some further updates on the recently announced crew base closures for Halifax and Thunder Bay.

  • When CUPE were notified of the base closures on Wednesday 14th January, the company committed to sharing the FAQ document with the union prior to releasing it to our impacted members for our input and review. Disappointingly, this commitment was not upheld, and the FAQ was shared prior to union feedback. Moving forward, Local 4061 will continue to field questions and clarifications from the affected members. We remain committed to being the strong advocates for clarity and accuracy in our Halifax and Thunder Bay bases.
  • Additionally, CUPE has taken a position in regards to the 60 days notice for base closures in Section 2.3 of the FOAG. We maintain that the 60 day notice should have been submitted to the union once the decision was made by the company to close these crew bases, and with the 16 week notice under the Canada Labour Code submitted at the end of that 60 day period.
  • We have begun to work with the company to establish a Joint Planning Committee, as required under the Canada Labour Code, to further plan mitigation strategies during this transition. This will be the main mechanism for advocacy for the concerns and questions impacting our membership.
  • A press release has gone out to both Thunder Bay and Halifax media organisations to raise awareness and attention to the impacted communities, inform them of the base closures and provide transparency for how it will impact them.

Our members in Thunder Bay and Halifax remain front of mind and we will continue to advocate and support them during these challenging times.

In Solidarity,

The L4061 Local Executive Committee

An Update from the LEC on the Halifax and Thunder Bay Base Closures

The past few days have been very difficult for our colleagues and friends in Halifax and Thunder Bay. Your Union is pledging its support to those members while communicating concerns and questions with the Company.

In the interest of transparency, your union believes it is necessary to make you aware of vital information which the company has not shared with you to date: Porter Airlines is treating this as a Group Termination and has filed this notice pursuant to the Canada Labour Code. The Union felt it was important to ensure members are aware and have access to the same information in a timely manner.

The Code requires that the Company provide 16 weeks notice of the change which is the May 7th date provided in the notice.

We believe this group termination notice requires an abundance of clarity that is not present in the communications sent out to our Halifax and Thunder Bay members. While options for relocation/commuting, voluntary lay-off, or early retirement have been presented, the options given (transfer, retirement, voluntary layoff) are part of their initial mitigation techniques.

The Union will be advocating for our members by participating in the Joint Committee, required under the Canada Labour Code, to ensure our members’ rights and concerns are addressed as we navigate this base closure. We are bringing forward suggestions and requests to the employer to ensure our impacted members have the best possible conditions in this very difficult situation and will work closely with the Base Vice Presidents of those two Bases, Shannon Grimard of YQT and Rebecca Mercer of YHZ.

We have received questions surrounding FOAG Section 2.3 and the policy surroundingthe 60 days notice to the FOAG Committee. We want to be clear, the FOAG Committee has been disbanded since certification of our Union. Additionally, with this filing for a group termination, the Canada Labour Code now sets out the protocol that the Company is required to follow, regardless of company policies.

We will continue to keep members informed as further details become available.

In solidarity,

The L4061 Local Executive Committee

Sign your Member in Good Standing Form!

In order to get Local 4061 up and running, CUPE National provided our union with a Member in Good Standing signing exemption, that expires on Jan 31st 2026.

In order to maintain your status as a MIGS, and be able to vote on our proposed bylaws, (including our dues rate, and committees such as Health and Safety, Hotels, Uniforms etc.) you will need to sign a MIGS form.

More information about the benefits of becoming a Member in Good Standing can be found below.

To sign a MIGS Form, please use this link: Become a Member In Good Standing