The federal government in Canada has intervened in the long-running strike by Air Canada’s flight attendants. As a result, they have directed both the airline as well as the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) back to the bargaining table. That directive follows an unusual weekend of horror for the airline, which suspended hundreds of flights, affecting more than 100,000 passengers.
The strike commenced at 00:58 EDT on Saturday, leading to significant disruptions in Air Canada’s operations. By Friday night, the airline had cancelled more than 1,100 flights, impacting nearly 800 flights each day. Faced with this onslaught of confusion and disruption, Air Canada formed a rapid response team. They asked all impacted passengers to avoid going to the airport unless they knew their flight was operating.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced the decision for binding arbitration between Air Canada and CUPE, which represents over 10,000 flight attendants. CUPE had been bargaining for more than eight months with Air Canada. They claimed that the airline’s final offer was below the marker they were looking for.
CUPE criticized Air Canada’s proposal as “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage,” arguing it would leave flight attendants unpaid for certain hours. Air Canada responded by putting $218 million worth of proposals on the table, including a rich 38% increase in total compensation over four years. This package included an extraordinary 25% first year raise.
Air Canada requested government-directed arbitration to settle the stalemate, underlining its dedication to a solution. The airline expressed regret over the impact of the strike on its customers, stating that they “deeply regret the effect the strike is having on customers.”
At the same time that negotiations were ongoing, CUPE representatives revealed their intentions to have airport picketers at major Canadian airports. This action is intended to support and raise awareness of their demands, and highlight the need for a timely and equitable resolution.