The Canadian government has taken decisive action in a bid to end the Air Canada strike that saw hundreds of flights suspended over the weekend. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu ordered both Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents over 10,000 flight attendants, to return to the negotiation table through binding arbitration. This move comes mere hours after the strike commenced on Saturday morning.
“Despite significant supports from the government, these parties have been unable to resolve their differences in a timely manner,” Hajdu stated. The minister emphasized the need to maintain stability and prevent disruption to crucial supply chains across the country. Air Canada has indicated that the strike impacts roughly 500 flights daily, with the airline citing the suspension of services as affecting about 130,000 passengers.
Air Canada had already halted all operations, including flights from its low-cost subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge, prior to the strike's effective start at 00:58 EDT on Saturday. The airline advised customers against traveling to airports unless they had alternate flight arrangements with other carriers. This disruption followed the cancellation of over 600 flights by Friday night due to decreasing operations ahead of the strike.
The contract talks have centered on salary increases, with flight attendants pushing for better pay and compensation for time spent on the ground when flights are not in operation. Air Canada has proposed a 38% rise in total compensation over four years, which the union has dismissed as inadequate, citing inflation concerns and market standards.
With a near-unanimous vote of 99.7% favoring the strike earlier this month, CUPE claims it has been negotiating sincerely for over eight months. However, tensions have escalated as the airline has sought government intervention instead of negotiating directly with the union. In response to government actions, CUPE argues that its charter rights are being violated and warns that such intervention could have lasting negative effects on labor relations in Canada.
As negotiations resume, the focus remains on resolving the deadlock swiftly to minimize further inconvenience to the airline's customers and ensure the stability of air travel across Canada.
“Despite significant supports from the government, these parties have been unable to resolve their differences in a timely manner,” Hajdu stated. The minister emphasized the need to maintain stability and prevent disruption to crucial supply chains across the country. Air Canada has indicated that the strike impacts roughly 500 flights daily, with the airline citing the suspension of services as affecting about 130,000 passengers.
Air Canada had already halted all operations, including flights from its low-cost subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge, prior to the strike's effective start at 00:58 EDT on Saturday. The airline advised customers against traveling to airports unless they had alternate flight arrangements with other carriers. This disruption followed the cancellation of over 600 flights by Friday night due to decreasing operations ahead of the strike.
The contract talks have centered on salary increases, with flight attendants pushing for better pay and compensation for time spent on the ground when flights are not in operation. Air Canada has proposed a 38% rise in total compensation over four years, which the union has dismissed as inadequate, citing inflation concerns and market standards.
With a near-unanimous vote of 99.7% favoring the strike earlier this month, CUPE claims it has been negotiating sincerely for over eight months. However, tensions have escalated as the airline has sought government intervention instead of negotiating directly with the union. In response to government actions, CUPE argues that its charter rights are being violated and warns that such intervention could have lasting negative effects on labor relations in Canada.
As negotiations resume, the focus remains on resolving the deadlock swiftly to minimize further inconvenience to the airline's customers and ensure the stability of air travel across Canada.
