| : Air Canada ordered to compensate pilots fired for refusing Covid jab Seven Air Canada pilots who refused complying with controversial Covid-19 vaccine mandates on religious grounds will soon be compensated by the airline Seven Air Canada pilots who refused complying with controversial Covid-19 vaccine mandates on religious grounds will soon be compensated by the airline after an arbitrator ruled that their rights had been violated.In his ruling, Arbitrator James Hayes stated, “All of the grievors testified honestly and the substantive nexus between their religious beliefs and objections to the employer mandatory vaccination policy was manifest.” Additionally, Hayes noted that the Air Canada union “has made out a prima facie case of workplace religious discrimination pursuant to the Collective Agreement and the Canadian Human Rights Act.”Air Canada was ordered to compensate the pilots, most of whom were captains, within 60 days for denying their religious exemptions. The arbitration decision stated that the arbitrator would “remain seized in the unlikely event that calculation of those damages becomes an issue.”The pilots were part of a group called Free to Fly, which advocates for workers affected by refusing to adhere to government COVID-19 vaccination mandates .“I am thrilled these seven men (Colin Finlay, David Sibley, Aric Verduyn, Darren Tucker, Matthew Griffin, Christopher Olson, and Kale Haley) were able to bring glory to God throughout this arduous process,” wrote Free to Fly co-founder Greg Hill in a statement on Thursday. “They gave powerful, Biblical reasons for the hope that is within them – the only true source of hope and light for our dark world!”Hayes ruled that the seven pilots should have been “placed on initial paid leaves of absence, as had been their pilot colleagues granted exemptions at the outset” instead of being fired.The COVID-19 vaccine mandate, implemented in October 2021 under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, placed an unprecedented and sweeping burden on federal workers and those in the transportation sector. Those who chose to abstain were prohibited from travelling by air, boat, or train, both domestically and internationally, resulting in thousands of Canadians losing their livelihoods for failing to comply.“God speaks to us in many ways through a well-formed moral conscience and often we can be to distracted to listen. But in this case, I heard Him clearly in my heart and soul: that to take the vaccine would be to go against His will for me,” said Air Canada Captain Colin Finlay.Finlay, who is Catholic, said his faith prevented him from getting the shot because of its connection to aborted fetal cells.“For me, this was not a matter of personal preference or politics. It was a matter of obedience to God and fidelity to my Catholic faith,” he added.Air Canada Captain Christopher Olson also objected to the vaccine because fetal cell lines from aborted babies were used in the making of the mRNA shots.“My faith is with me at all times and informs all of my decisions, including decisions about what I allow into my body. Therefore, as companies around Canada began discussing mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies, I immediately recognized the potential conflict with my faith,” wrote Olson.According to Hayes, the rationale for seeking religious exemptions by Olson, Finlay and the five other pilots was “sincere.”“I find without hesitation that Captain Olson’s objection to vaccination was grounded in sincere religious conviction,” reads the ruling. The ruling follows a similar decision last year that saw Canada’s second-largest airline, WestJet, ordered to compensate an employee “wrongfully terminated” for refusing to be vaccinated.Calgary Justice Aldo Argento ordered the airline to pay Duong Yee $65,587.72—the equivalent of 11 months’ salary—after her termination on Dec. 1, 2021, when she declined to be vaccinated.“The plaintiff’s refusal to comply with the company’s vaccination policy did not impact her job performance,” Argento wrote in his decision. “It did not endanger the defendant’s employees or the public as the plaintiff was working from home. While a future, partial return to work was anticipated, that was not yet implemented.” | |
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