As the strike continues, the airline anticipates that about 130,000 customers would be affected daily. Customers from Atlanta who booked flights on Air Canada or Air Canada Rogue should only travel to Hartsfield-Jackson if their trip is confirmed.
However, not every flight is affected. According to the airline, flights on PAL Airlines and Air Canada Jazz are still running normally.
later no agreement was reached, Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesperson Hugh Pouliot stated that the strike had begun. Shortly later, the airline announced that it would stop operations.
As the union rejected the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would remove its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to determine the terms of a new contract, the bitter contract dispute between Canada’s largest airline and the union that represents 10,000 of its flight attendants intensified on Friday.
Flight attendants walk off the job
Around one in the morning on Saturday, flight attendants left their jobs. Air Canada announced shortly after that it will start preventing flight attendants from entering airports.
In a meeting with the airline and union on Friday evening, Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu asked them to put in more effort to finalize a settlement.
That so little progress has been made is unacceptable. In a social media posting, Hajdu stated that Canadians are relying on both parties to make their best efforts.
The union met with Hajdu and Air Canada personnel earlier Friday night, according to union spokesperson Pouliot.
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
Travelers are in limbo
Approximately 700 flights are operated daily by Air Canada.
It’s unclear how long the airline’s aircraft would be grounded, but Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has stated that after a tentative agreement is reached, it may take up to a week to fully resume operations.
According to Air Canada, passengers whose travel is affected can use the airline’s website or mobile app to receive a complete refund.
When feasible, the airline added, it will also provide alternate routes via other Canadian and international airlines. However, it cautioned that because other airlines’ flights are already filled because of the summer travel surge, it could not guarantee a speedy rebooking.
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
Sides say they re far apart on pay
After around eight months of contract negotiations, Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have not yet reached a tentative agreement.
Regarding compensation and the unpaid labor flight attendants perform when planes are not in flight, both sides claim they are still at odds.
The airline claimed that its most recent offer, which included a 38% rise in total pay over four years, including perks and pensions, would have made our flight attendants the highest paid in Canada.
However, the union resisted, claiming that inflation made the first-year 8% rise insufficient.
