Air Canada has announced the suspension of all its flights due to a strike initiated by cabin staff, affecting travel plans for approximately 130,000 passengers daily. The industrial action commenced early on Saturday morning, following confirmation from the union representing over 10,000 flight attendants.
In response to the strike, Air Canada canceled all operations, including those of its budget airline, Air Canada Rouge, advising customers not to go to airports unless traveling with other airlines. The airline indicated that approximately 500 flights would be impacted each day as a result of the strike. Flight attendants are advocating for increased salaries and compensation for time spent on the ground while aircraft are not in operation.
The strike officially began at 00:58 ET (04:58 GMT) on Saturday, although Air Canada had started scaling down operations beforehand. Picketing by flight attendants is planned at major Canadian airports, as passengers were already seeking alternative bookings earlier in the week. Air Canada clarified that flights operated by Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Express would not be affected by the strike.
Prior to the strike, Air Canada canceled 623 flights on Friday, which impacted over 100,000 passengers. In ongoing contract negotiations, the airline proposed a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, with a 25% pay raise in the first year. The union, CUPE, criticized this offer as inadequate, stating that it falls below inflation, market value, and minimum wage, while still leaving flight attendants uncompensated for several hours of their work.
In a prior vote, 99.7% of union members supported the strike. Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has urged both parties to return to negotiations to avoid the strike and noted that Air Canada requested government referral for binding arbitration. CUPE has asserted that it has been negotiating in good faith for over eight months, accusing Air Canada of seeking government intervention instead of engaging in the bargaining process.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyex8489gno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss