Air Canada Faces Uncertainty as Flight Attendants Strike and Lockout Begins
Air Canada flight attendants have officially begun their strike after failing to reach a deal with the airline, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced Saturday morning.
The strike officially began at 12:58 a.m. ET. The Air Canada component of CUPE says they will hold picket lines in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Richmond, B.C., Halifax, Winnipeg and Ottawa.
Shortly after strike action began, Air Canada initiated a lockout that took effect at 1:30 a.m. ET, describing it in a press release Saturday morning as a “necessary” step in response to the stoppage.
The airline says all operations by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge are suspended, and that the shutdown of the country’s largest airline impacts approximately 130,000 people each day.
The airline said it will cancel around 500 flights leading up to the strike deadline in anticipation of the work stoppage.
Regional Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz Aviation and PAL airlines are not impacted.
“If your flight is cancelled, don’t go to the airport without a confirmed new booking,” Air Canada told customers on Friday.
The airline said it will get in touch with the customers by email or text if their flights were cancelled.
Passengers whose flights are impacted will be able to request a full refund on Air Canada’s website or the mobile app, the airline said.
On Aug. 11, the Air Canada Component of CUPE submitted a revised wage proposal to the airline, following around eight months of negotiations with the airline.
According to the union, entry-level Air Canada flight attendants’ wages have only increased by 10 per cent ($3 per hour) in the past 25 years.
Additionally, the union says workers “are not paid for a significant portion of their time on the job, including while they perform critical safety checks, attend to onboard medical and safety emergencies, and assist passengers with boarding and deplaning,” according to a press release on Aug. 5.
Polling data published by the union Friday shows that 88 per cent of surveyed Canadians “believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties,” and 80 per cent supported “raising flight attendant pay to meet the rising cost-of-living.”
On Wednesday, the union gave the airline a 72-hour strike notice, in which Air Canada responded with a lockout notice that said it would prevent the flight attendants from being able to work Saturday.
Meanwhile, the union said the proposal from Air Canada was rejected because they preferred to negotiate and arrive at a deal the members could vote on.
According to Air Canada, the latest offer contained a 38 per cent increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years. But the union said that the proposal did not consider inflation in the proposed 8 per cent increase in the first year.
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu told The Canadian Press Friday that she is urging both the airline and the union to continue negotiating, saying it’s “critical” the two parties return to the table” and hammer out a deal.
Earlier, in July the union put it to vote and 99.7 per cent of the members had backed the motion to strike.
With files from Lynn Chaya, Aarjavee Raaj, Hunter Crowther and The Canadian Press
This article was first reported by CTV News
