AVEOS LOCKS OUT 3000 WORKERS

[sled3]

Aveos Fleet Performance Inc., which maintains many of Air Canada's aircraft, shut down its plants on Sunday, locking out about 2,400 workers and telling them not to return to work.

The majority of the affected employees — about 1,800 — are based in Montreal, while 350 are in Winnipeg and 250 are in Vancouver, says the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Aveos posted a sign on the door of its Winnipeg plant on Sunday, stating, "We regret to advise you that effective immediately, Aveos Fleet Performance Inc. has ceased the operation of airframe maintenance."

Employees found outside the facility told CBC News they were told by management on Sunday afternoon that the facility was closing immediately. They were instructed to leave the building and not return to work on Monday.

Union officials in Vancouver confirmed that employees at the Aveos plant there were told to go home and leave all their equipment and personal items behind.

Lorne Hammerberg, president of the union local in Winnipeg, told CBC News he fears total job losses at Aveos, as there had been no talk of restructuring the company.

Aveos was Air Canada's maintenance division until it became an independent company in October 2007. It has been doing all of the heavy equipment maintenance for the airline's Airbus and Embraer fleet, Hammerberg said.

Hammerberg said union officials had heard no indication that a total shutdown was in the works.

The union does not know what the latest development could mean for Air Canada's maintenance program, he said.

It is good to see that the government is stepping in to save our jobs... oh wait they only step in to save money for Air Canada. We should have slapped up a GM sign over the door and maybe we would have gotten a bailout.

[Firebird]

Wow!! Must be negotiation time soon.

[sled3]

Ah no... they suspended negots weeks ago, this is a total shut down of the company, I was told 3 hrs ago that I no longer have a job. If any of you do not know Aveos is the sold off maintenance division of Air Canada, and they have had an exclusive maintenance contract that ends next year. We were told last week that the rumour of Aveos being bankrupt was due in fact to Air Canada owing in excess of $80 million for past maintenance.

[bombardierfixer]

Is this maybe linked too the pilots which are being struck with disease and stress...I stress I do not want to make light of a piss poor situation but is Aveos not covered under the legislation posted last week? I know that they are separate but are they (AC and Aveos)? What ever the situation it looks like maintenance is going to take it on the chin again. Where is the government now anyway?

[bigbert]

From my understanding Aveos was not included in the legislation, holy crap this is not good at all!! Where is the gov't now, they better not let Air Canada go out of country for their maintenance. The way I view it is they have protected Air Canada so much that they might as well be a crown corp, and follow the rule requiring them to have x amount of work done in Canada

[ME109]

This is not good news for the aircraft maintenance industry. We have seen the airlines contracting overseas for the past few years and the maintenace industry has seen its share of layoffs.
I doubt if the government will step in as Aveos does not fly from Ottawa to Halifax, so Lisa could care less.
What about the Aeroman operation? Has it closed too?

[Cat19]

I am one of the "lucky" ones who just lost my job. I was one of the ones forced to "choose" Aveos because I didn't have the seniority to hold my position with Air Canada. I can't say it is too much of a surprise though. The writing has been on the wall for a long time but it is still a shock when it actually happens!

We all thought that Vancouver's future was always on the chopping block but to see a total shut down of all the bases across the country is absolutely devastating!

[knucklesdragon]

I don't quite understand on how these AME's are told to leave their tools and belongings in the hanger when they have been let go like that. Is it legal? I know one thing anyone who tells me that with be answering it Mr.winchester and my Snap on box will not be left on their property!!! redneck or what that is my family's livilyhood!

[Col3lux]

This is heading down the same road as QANTAS did a while back. Send the work overseas.

Wait till the problems start happening with the quality of maintenance!

[B767AME]

I as well am one of the many who are now left unemployed thanks to Aveos, Air Canada, and the Harper Government.

The Arbitrator Martin Teplinksy allowed the separation of Air Canada and Aveos. He claimed that Aveos was a viable company. Look at where we are now? The union fought, and lost. Now 3000 Canadian's are unemployed, and on the streets. It's not even a year since separation (9 months).

At the time of making my decision to stay with Aveos (I did not have seniority to hold a position at Air Canada), we all believed that we would have a job at least until 2013. Hoping that things with the company would work out. As the months past from transition date, the the situation appeared to get worse. If I were to have stayed with AC I would have held recall rights, and have had a job at Aveos(preferential hire). Now I have nothing.

The government needs to step in, keep work in the country, to better our economy. Large aircraft aviation in Canada is dying, and the government is letting it happen!

[ourkid2000]

I'm real sorry to hear about this fellas....

You know what though? It's just as well to get it over with and move on. I was laid off from my job of 4 years at an airline back towards the end of 2011 and at the time it sucked. But then I got a new job a couple months later.......a job not fixing airplanes, and you wouldn't believe how good it feels to not have to deal with the crap anymore. Aveos & Air Canada have been in a downward spiral for a long time taking you guys along for the ride so it's just as well as you get it over with now so you can start making other plans. There are plenty of companies out there, believe me, who would love to have you.

I know it sucks......but it's a kick in the ass to go find something else. Aviation in Canada is done, look towards the future. There are lots of jobs out there that pay just as well as Aveos.

[kilpicki]

I read that Alberta will be short 220,000 skilled workers when a few more projects get underway. I'd imagine a multi skilled AME could find something paying substancially more than AVEO.
You may still be able to live at Kits and have the west coast lifestyle as a lot of these jobs are rotational.

[Colonel Sanders]

a job not fixing airplanes

Exactly! I know many, many skilled AME's who got tired of the crap and moved on to much better paying (and much happier) careers.

[Stumper]

My condolences to all effected. I've been through a few bankruptcies through the years but certainly nothing on this scale. It has been obvious since the separation of Aveos from Air Canada that this was the end game; but the reality is shocking none the less. I fear that this is just the beginning of very dark times for both heavy maintenance and all AME's in Canada..

[Cat19]

ourkid2000,can I ask what you are doing now?

I hope I can have a story like yours someday. I will always love aviation with a passion but I think my days of being involved with it for a living are over. 3 layoffs and now this bankruptcy crap over the last 5 years is more than enough for me!

16 years as an AME S and I can honestly say that there wasn't too much of that time where I ever felt that my job was safe. Constantly being worried about your job security is no way to live life! I know that there aren't too many jobs that are secure anymore but aircraft maintenance definitely ranks near the top of the list for lack of job security!

[c170b53]

Sheet metal is an art form. Takes years to learn, a couple of days to throw it all away. I can only produce paint by number repairs so I'm in awe and envy of your good work. Good luck to you all.

[Colonel Sanders]

Indeed - a friend of mine has three English wheels ...

Anyways, I learned a long time ago, that job security was
knowing that you could get a better paying job somewhere
else!

If you can produce value, and your skills are in demand, you
will never lack for work.

[DanWEC]

What about Premiere Aviation? I'll admit I'm out of my element here, but they just completed a massive hangar in Windsor. They are currently doing job fairs, and I'm sure would be happy to step up?

[CID]

DanWEC, Premier Aviation is an excellent example of how an MRO can operate in Canada successfully. The success of Aveos (and the failure) does not depend on the government. It's squarely on the companies involved and the workers. There is plenty of MRO work in Canada.

[ChallengerDan]

What about Premiere Aviation? I'll admit I'm out of my element here, but they just completed a massive hangar in Windsor. They are currently doing job fairs, and I'm sure would be happy to step up?

Looks like they have......
2 767 were sent down to Rome NY. So much for keeping work in Canada...

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA7050

[homesick]

Hasn't anyone called shenanigans on the timing of the completion of the hangar and this lockout? My dad was having his lunch in the cafeteria when some mgmt schmuck told him to pack up his stuff and get out. Doesn't anyone see anything wrong with that. I guess capitalism at work.
Funny thing is, he was cold called by Premiere for 3 month on, 3 month off contracts for major overhaul work for 777s. Gee, I wonder who has 777s in Canada. Also, anyone cared to delve deeper into Premier and ascertain the owners of that organisation. Heard it's a bunch of ex AC directors.

SHENANIGANS!!!!!!!!

[conehead]

Funny thing is, he was cold called by Premiere....

Hmmm.... wonder where Premiere got his number?

[homesick]

If they can forecast and time closures and openings of long term, capital intensive companies with such accuracy, acquiring phone numbers of little minions is more than easily possible..... especially if the two aforementioned companies have such close ties.

[SeptRepair]

Homesick, you could look at it as a glass half full. Be thankful they called looking for his services. If your conspiracy theory is correct, then it might just be a little cull going on. He is obviously admired. Now if all his buddies got called and he didn't then that would be a little humbling and would speak volumes of his worth.

[homesick]

You have completely missed the point here. he has been laid off 3 times in the 12 years he worked there. I think he is well aware of his worth. I really don't know what he has to be thankful for. Is the aviation industry in Canada so rotten and depressed that a person has to be thankful for this kind of treatment? Let's all of us justify the race to the bottom with such empty hopes of having a job in the other corner of the country for a part time gig from the very same people who robbed you out of a full time job.

The fact that people can make backroom deals with such impunity and get away with it is shocking. For how long are we to be held ransom, not by management, but something higher than that, due to pure technicalities. AVEOS would've survived if the books weren't cooked. Funny, books are cooked to show artificial profits. Here, we have a situation where they are cooked to shut down an integral part of the largest airline in Canada to make way for a bunch of ex managers of this airline to make a killing.

This industry has turned it's employees into a pathetic bunch. Take the best offer, no matter how pathetic, 'cos this is as good as it gets. A whole industry has pulled the biggest con job on poor schmucks like my dad. This is what I am seeing in front of my eyes. There are countless stories of people being being exploited in this industry and we just stand by and justify it as 'paying your dues'. Well, guess what, my dad DID pay his dues, and he got shafted.

Coincidentally, my brother working as a rampie in AC, while studying for his management degree got offered a part time management position within the company at a fraction of the pay of someone in the same position. He was blatantly told that the new generation of managers will replace the old ones at a fraction of the salaries. He said no and walked away, not just from the job, not just from the company, but from the industry.

I'm glad I bailed on Canada a long time ago. As much as I love this country, there is absolutely no future in aviation here. I wish everyone would start expanding their horizons beyond these shores. There needs to be a balance to this demand supply equation at some point.

Good luck to all.