Air Canada is bracing for major travel disruptions as the union representing 10,000 flight attendants signals plans to strike this weekend, prompting the airline to begin cancelling flights.
The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is now in a position to strike as of 12:58 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.
“At 12:58 a.m. ET [Wednesday], we officially served notice to strike. This decision was not made lightly, but it is necessary. We are ready, we are strong, and we will not back down,” the union wrote.
“Now, we need every member to take action: Contact your Member of Parliament today. Tell them to respect our right to strike and to support our fight for fair compensation for all the work we do.”
In response, Air Canada has issued a notice of lockout starting at 1:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
“We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve. However, the disappointing conduct of CUPE’s negotiators and the union’s stated intention to launch a strike puts us in a position where our only responsible course of action is to provide certainty by implementing an orderly suspension of Air Canada’s and Air Canada Rouge’s operations through a lockout,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.
“As we have seen elsewhere in our industry with other labour disruptions, unplanned or uncontrolled shutdowns, such as we are now at risk of through a strike, can create chaos for travellers that is far, far worse.”
●Air Canada to gradually suspend mainline and Rouge flights
The airline says Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights will be progressively suspended over the next 72 hours, though Air Canada Express flights are not affected.
Air Canada says the first round of flights will be cancelled on Thursday, with more to come on Friday, followed by a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights on Saturday.
“Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and can obtain a full refund; customers without confirmed flights should not go to the airport,” read a press release. “To provide customers certainty, Air Canada will begin a phased wind-down of most of its operations to be completed over the next three days.”
The union last week voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate, which is effective for 60 days.
The union has said its main sticking points revolve around what it calls flight attendants’ “poverty wages” and unpaid labour when planes aren’t in the air.
Air Canada, a component of CUPE, and the airline have been in contract talks since the beginning of the year, and the strike mandate comes after the airline and union concluded a conciliation process without reaching a deal.
CUPE declined a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process on Tuesday.
source & photo: CityNews
