With Air Canada taking root and waiters on strike, what to know

When Air Canada’s flight attendant began a strike on Saturday, the airline said it had “suspended all actions” when the labor dispute unfolded.

After contract negotiations reached a deadlock, waiters issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week.

Their union said the company did not address key issues such as wages and unpaid jobs, and the strike took effect shortly after midnight on Saturday.

Shortly thereafter, the operators began delaying and canceling some flights. On Friday, it is expected to cancel 500 flights, affecting 100,000 passengers.

The strike actually announced that it would cease flights served by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.

Now, as Canada’s largest airline closes during peak summer season, travelers are scrambling to reach an agreement. This is something to know.

The airline operates in 64 countries and has a fleet of 259 aircraft, warning that it will start “completely stop flights” on Saturday if the Labor Party issues are not resolved. Air Canada Express flights carry 20% of Air Canada’s daily customers and will not be affected.

Still, the closure could affect 130,000 daily customers, including 25,000 Canadians.

After receiving the strike notice, Air Canada issued its own 72-hour lockout notice and began to end the operation, delaying and canceling flights within these three days.

Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr explained that the airline’s system is complex, not “we can start or stop by pressing the button.”

The Canadian Public Employees Alliance (CUPE), which represents 10,000 Air Canada waiters, asserted that it had bargained with the airlines for more than eight months in good faith.

The airline said it recently provided flight attendants with a total compensation increase of 38% in four years, and a 25% increase in the first year.

But the union said the proposal was “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage,” which would leave flight attendants free of charge during hours of work, including waiting at the airport or guiding the boarding process before the flight.

They said wages have not kept pace with inflation, so Air Canada’s recommendation to increase was “effective, wage cuts”.

Almost all waiters (99.7%) voted to decide on the strike earlier this month. Meanwhile, the company has asked the government to intervene.

Government representatives have facilitated some negotiations, but the carriers have gone further and asked Canada’s Employment Minister Patty Hajdu to submit the matter for binding arbitration.

Earlier this week, Air Canada proposed to establish an agreement through so-called “binding arbitration” through a third party, but the union rejected that.

It then asked the government to force the parties to bind arbitration, pointing to the government’s recent intervention in railways, ports and other negotiations.

In binding arbitration, independent third parties set contractual terms in a legally enforced agreement.

The union said in a statement on Friday that it asked Hajdu not to intervene, but rather to allow “parties to reach a solution through free and fair negotiations without excessive interference”.

For the flight attendant, the only answer is that both parties are back on the table.

Reuters reported that if one of the company is involved, she would ask Canada’s Labor Relations Commission to implement binding arbitration to protect the economy.

There is also pressure in other parts of Canada. The Toronto area’s trade commission calls for government intervention, while Newfoundland and Labrador issued a statement describing the “disastrous” impact of the strike on the tourism industry in the summer.

This is not clear yet.

When Air Canada pilots went on a 13-day strike in September 1998, more than 600 daily flights from all operators took root, stranded passengers and rode C$133 million ($96 million; £71 million) before reaching a deal.

In recent years, the federal government has intervened in labor disputes among Air Canada workers by blocking strikes and implementing agreements.

The union said the implementation of the arbitration would halt the first strike of airline flight attendants since 1985.

Air Canada said it will notify passengers if the scheduled departure time of the plane changes.

As of Saturday, Air Canada “strongly advises” passengers not to go to the airport unless they book tickets at other airlines.

The airline said customers who cancel the flight will be notified and receive a full refund. The company has also made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign airlines to provide customers with other travel options.

If it is a round trip, the return flight will not be automatically cancelled in case the passenger arrives at the destination.

These reservations are cancelled for no charge.