The union representing Air Canada flight attendants is urging a “strong mandate” to strike by members in voting that beings today. The process begins after the close to eight months of bargaining and the two sides completing the conciliation process without resolution last week. Voting continues through Aug. 5 and members will be eligible to strike effective Aug. 16.
“Your Union has officially concluded the conciliation process with the assistance of federally appointed mediators. At this time, we have not reached a tentative agreement to present to you,” the CUPE bargaining committee wrote in a message to members.
It added, “Despite sustained efforts at the bargaining table, key issues remain unresolved…”
The include pay, unpaid work, per diems, pension, work rules and prone rest.
The bargaining committee continued: “For the past two years flight attendants have displayed Unpaid Work Won’t Fly baggage tags on their bags, engaged in and shared on social media the ‘Unfair Canada’ campaign, and participated in forward-facing public events all in an effort to communicate our collective message: After 10 long years flight attendants deserve a significant wage increase, pension improvements, and enhanced pay for ground duties that are currently unpaid.”
Air Canada response
On Friday, Air Canada said it acknowledged the beginning of its flight attendants’ vote to provide the union with a strike mandate should an agreement not be reached between the company and CUPE through the ongoing negotiations.
“Such a vote is a normal step in the negotiation process and does not mean that any disruption will take place,” said the airline, further noting that a strike cannot take place before a 21-day cooling-off period.
The company said it remains committed to the bargaining process and remains “fully available to continue negotiations towards a fair and equitable collective agreement with CUPE that recognizes the contributions of its Flight Attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company.”
According to the company, Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge employ a combined total of approximately 10,400 cabin crew members based at the airline’s four largest hub airports in Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.
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