August 29, 2025
Participants for AMFA
Lee Seham – Acting Committee Co-Chair
Ian Evershed – Region IV Director, Committee Co-Chair
Justin Lang – Airline Representative
Michael Emery – Negotiator-at-Large
Samuel Seham – Legal Counsel
Drew Fischer – Economist
Participants for Jazz Aviation
Kirk Newhook – VP Employee Relations
Suzanne Asseff – Director Employee Relations
Kal Rebin – VP Maintenance
Mark Lenglet – Director Line Maintenance
Maze Hobeyn – Director Components & Stores
Stephen Boa – Manager Labour Relations
Christine Stolarz – Employee Relations Admin/Analyst
Kris Langevin – Manager Labour Relations
The AMFA-Jazz Line Negotiating Committee (the “Committee”) is providing this update to the membership at Jazz Aviation (Jazz). This is the only official source of negotiating communications.
On August 26-28, 2025, Jazz and AMFA representatives met in Toronto for the fourth round of collective bargaining agreement negotiations. The negotiations were led by AMFA General Counsel Lee Seham and VP Employee Relations Kirk Newhook.
On the morning of August 26, AMFA presented a comprehensive economic proposal – including wage scales – that was driven by the new economic realities prevailing in the labour market for skilled aviation maintenance workers since the negotiation of the AMFA-WestJet contract. More specifically, AMFA has rejected the proposition that maintenance workers employed in Air Canada Express operations should resign themselves to “Tier 2” wages in view of the facility with which skilled employees move to vacant positions at “Tier 1” airlines.
On the afternoon of August 28, the Company presented its response. The Company characterized its wage scales as reflecting the prevailing rates at other Tier 2 carriers. It denied any recent paradigm shift in AME wages. However, the Tier 2 carriers offering these wages suffer from the same chronic retention issues as Jazz. The Company’s offer was further conditioned on major reductions to your work scope protections and a five-year duration. AMFA considers the Company’s economic proposals to be unacceptable.
Concerned that this low-ball offer may prompt a further exodus of skilled maintenance employees, AMFA has requested that the Company produce Transport Canada safety audits related to its maintenance operations. AMFA will develop counterproposals to the Company’s offer, to be presented during the Parties’ upcoming bargaining dates in Halifax (9/11-9/13) and Calgary (9/23-9/25).
Stay engaged, remain informed, and continue to support the Negotiating Committee, as that support increases the ability to bargain a collective agreement that your hard work deserves. Your AMFA representatives will provide regular updates throughout the negotiating process. Thank you for your support.
Fraternally,
AMFA-Jazz Line Negotiating Committee
