Air Canada is preparing for significant operational upheavals. The white-hot potentiality of a strike is one of the most intense strikes on the horizon with an impressive 99.7% of union-represented workers voting to hit the bricks. The strike is set to begin at approximately 01:00 EST on Saturday. If it proceeds as planned, it could impact around 130,000 customers daily. The first wave of cancelled flights starts on Thursday. With each day, more flights are likely to face grounding orders on Friday, leading to an entire halt to flying by Saturday.
The union, which represents more than 8,600 Air Canada flight attendants, has been bargaining with their employer for more than eight months. During all this time, they have argued that the compensation offered by the airline is less than what other airlines have been giving. Air Canada’s latest proposal includes a breathtaking, unprecedented 38% increase in total compensation over the next four years. This proposal includes an extraordinary 25% increase in the first year! The union criticized this offer as “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage.”
The union had been warning about the lack of compensation across the board. They noted that the airline’s plan would result in the exclusion of pay for many hours spent as flight attendants. This unpaid work goes beyond the express security duties, including jobs like boarding and holding at airports before flights. The union contends that such deplorable working conditions are unacceptable and has fought for fairer conditions.
While negotiations became stalled, Air Canada has been looking for government-directed arbitration rather than negotiating further with the union. This decision has dramatically increased tensions between the airline and its workers. In turn, the union has vowed to stay united behind its demands while gearing up for a possible strike.
Air Canada has done and continues to do much to assuage the disruptions caused to its customers. On top of that, the airline went out and booked replacement travel through codeshare agreements with other Canadian and international airlines. With over 25,000 Canadians affected by the strike, it is likely that many Canadian travelers are still left with significant disruption.
Air Canada wants its passengers to be informed about the status of their flights. Importantly, they need to be open to finding new structures as the story unfolds. The ramifications of this strike not only threaten the airline’s operations but pose challenges for countless travelers who rely on Air Canada’s services.