What to know as Air Canada flights grounded and attendants strike

Flight attendants for Air Canada say they don’t seem to be ending the strike – regardless of a federal back-to-work order – throwing the airline’s plans to renew flights up within the air.

The strike by greater than 10,000 flight attendants for Canada’s largest airline has stranded tens of 1000’s of passengers since flights have been grounded on Saturday.

The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has deemed the strike illegal and informed the airline’s workers to return to work.

It mentioned that an expired collective settlement can be prolonged till a brand new one was agreed.

However union leaders mentioned they might be prepared to pay fines, and even face jail time, relatively than return to work.

“If Air Canada thinks planes will probably be flying this afternoon, they’re sorely mistaken,” mentioned Canadian Union of Public Staff (Cupe) president Mark Hancock on Monday.

Here is what it is advisable to know.

It is unclear.

About 500,000 clients’ flights have been cancelled because of the strike, Air Canada mentioned on Monday.

The airline had needed to renew flights on Monday night, however with flight attendants nonetheless hanging, it stays to be seen when they are going to take off once more.

The corporate already mentioned it anticipated a number of days of disruption earlier than scheduling returned to regular as soon as flight attendants return to work.

Air Canada has mentioned it can provide these with cancelled flights choices together with a refund or credit score for future journey.

On Monday morning, CIRB informed workers to return to return to work by 12:00 EDT (14:00 GMT) on Monday and referred to as the strike unlawful.

It mentioned defiance by the Canadian Union of Public Staff (Cupe)of a back-to-work order on Sunday is “illegal”.

A collective settlement that expired on 31 March can be prolonged till a brand new one was agreed, Air Canada mentioned.

Cupe president, Mr Hancock, mentioned union leaders are prepared to just accept any penalties for its refusal to conform, together with financial fines and jail time.

It’s unclear what the implications will probably be.

Flight attendants gave a 72-hour strike discover final week after contract talks reached an deadlock. Quickly afterwards, Air Canada started delaying and cancelling some flights.

By Saturday, Air Canada mentioned it was compelled to droop “all operations” after staff voted to go on strike.

With the strike in impact, the airline introduced it could halt flights on its Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge service.

Air Canada Specific flights, which carry about 20% of Air Canada’s day by day clients, aren’t affected.

The Cupe union mentioned the corporate was not addressing key points corresponding to wages and unpaid work.

It mentioned it bargained in good religion with the airline for greater than eight months.

The airline mentioned it not too long ago supplied flight attendants a 38% improve in whole compensation over 4 years, with a 25% increase within the first 12 months.

However the union mentioned the provide was “under inflation, under market worth, under minimal wage” and would go away flight attendants unpaid for some hours of labor, together with ready at airports forward of flights or in the course of the boarding course of.

They mentioned wages had not stored up with inflation, so Air Canada’s instructed pay improve was “in impact, a pay reduce”.

Nearly the entire attendants – 99.7% – voted to strike earlier this month. The corporate requested the federal government to intervene.

Because the cancellations mounted, the Canadian authorities used its powers to drive the airline and the union into binding arbitration, in an effort to minimise disruptions for journey and the financial system.

On Saturday, Hajdu ordered Air Canada and Cupe into binding arbitration by invoking Part 107 of the Canada Labour Code.

“Regardless of important helps from the federal government, these events have been unable to resolve their variations in a well timed method,” Hadju mentioned.

“I’m exercising this authority as a result of it’s vital to sustaining and securing industrial peace, defending Canadians and selling circumstances to resolve the dispute.”

The Canada Industrial Relations Board then issued a return to work order for 14:00EST (18:00 GMT) on Sunday, which the union defied.

Cupe accused the federal authorities of violating the constitution rights of hanging staff. They alleged that forcing an finish to the strike will “guarantee unresolved points will proceed to worsen by kicking them down the street”.

In binding arbitration, an unbiased third occasion units the phrases of a contract in an settlement that’s legally enforceable.

Air Canada has mentioned it can notify passengers if there’s a change to the flight’s scheduled departure time.

Clients whose flights are cancelled will probably be notified and can obtain a full refund, the airline mentioned. The corporate has additionally made preparations with different Canadian and overseas carriers to supply clients different journey choices.

If it is a spherical journey, return flights aren’t robotically cancelled in case the passengers reaches the vacation spot.

These bookings may be cancelled with no charges.