Hundreds of flights take root as industrial action begins

Air Canada has suspended all flights as a strike for cabin crew begins – the airline said it will disrupt travel plans for about 130,000 passengers a day.

The union representing more than 10,000 Canadian airline stewardess confirmed the 72-hour industrial action early Saturday morning.

The airline said it has suspended all flights, including its budget ARM Air Canada Rouge, and advised affected customers not to head to the airport unless they fly with other airlines.

Air Canada flight attendants called for a raise in salary and pay on the plane on the ground.

The strike took effect on Saturday at 00:58 ET (04:58 GMT), although Air Canada began expanding its operations before that. The airline said about 500 flights per day will be affected.

The flight attendant will picket at major Canadian airports, and passengers have tried to secure new bookings earlier this week.

Air Canada, which flew directly to 180 cities around the world, said it had “suspended all operations” and “strongly advised affected customers not to go to the airport.”

It added that flights from Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airline and Air Canada Express are not affected by the strike.

“AirCanada deeply regrets the impact of the strike on its customers,” it said.

By Friday night, the airline said it had canceled 623 flights affecting more than 100,000 passengers, as part of a series of operations before the strike.

In contract negotiations, the airline said it had provided flight attendants with a total compensation increase of 38% for four years and a 25% increase in the first year.

The proposal is “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage” and will still leave flight attendants free of charge during hours of work, including boarding and waiting at the airport before the flight.

Unions and airlines have publicly traded barbs about their willingness to reach an agreement.

Earlier this month, 99.7% of employees represented by unions voted in favor of the strike.

Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu this week urged Air Canada and the union to return to the negotiating table to avoid strikes.

She also said in a statement that Air Canada has asked her to submit the dispute to binding arbitration.

CUPE asserted that it had been in good faith for more than eight months of negotiations, but Air Canada sought government-guided arbitration.

“AirCanada did not come to the table sincerely when we were together,” the union said in a statement to its members. “Instead, they called on the federal government to step in and take those rights away.”