Air Canada to close all flights, lock out its flight attendants weekend onwards: This is why

Air Canada says it’s going to lock out its flight attendants this weekend after their union served discover of a strike, setting the stage for a full shutdown of operations if the dispute isn’t resolved.

The Canadian Union of Public Workers (CUPE), which represents the airline’s 9,500 flight attendants, mentioned 99.7 per cent of members voted to strike. The union has pressed for pay throughout all hours labored, cost-of-living protections and wage will increase it says are consistent with trade requirements.

One main level of competition between the union and the airline is unpaid work hours. Employees is presently compensated at an hourly charge, however just for the time that the airplane is within the air, viz. from take-off to touchdown.

Nevertheless, the flight attendants spend a number of time throughout boarding security checks and deplaning that they aren’t paid for. CUPE desires this to vary.

“When you issue within the complete time labored, you’re basically incomes lower than federal minimal wage in the event you’re a junior flight attendant,” CUPE spokesperson Pouliot instructed The Globe and Mail.

“For the previous 9 months, we’ve put ahead stable, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work,” CNN quoted Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Air Canada Element, as saying. “Air Canada’s response makes one factor clear: they aren’t curious about resolving these important points.”

The airline mentioned it has been negotiating for eight months, supplied binding arbitration and final week proposed a deal together with a 38 per cent pay rise over 4 years. The provide was rejected and the union issued a strike discover, prompting Air Canada to reply with a 72-hour lockout discover efficient 16 August.

Flights might start being cancelled as early as Wednesday, with extra cancellations Thursday and a full shutdown by Saturday. Air Canada operates almost 430 each day flights between Canada and the US, serving over 50 US airports, and says it flies about 130,000 passengers a day.

Labour minister Patty Hajdu mentioned she has met each side and urged them to remain on the desk with federal mediators “till a deal is discovered.”

The dispute comes as boarding pay and compensation for all hours labored stay contentious points throughout the airline trade, with comparable debates taking part in out within the US.