Air Canada flight attendants to defy back-to-work order, remain on strike: union

Yahoo

2 days ago

Air Canada flight attendants will defy the back-to-work order and remain on strike after the federal government ordered binding arbitration to end the work stoppage, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) told Radio-Canada on Sunday.
CUPE said in a statement that members would remain on strike and invited Air Canada back to the table to "negotiate a fair deal."
"We will be challenging this blatantly unconstitutional order that violates the Charter rights of 10,000 flight attendants, 70 per cent of whom are women, and 100 per cent of whom are forced to do hours of unpaid work by their employer every time they come to work," it said in a statement.
Air Canada and a Canadian government spokesperson were not immediately available for comment.
Earlier this morning, the Montreal-based airline announced it planned to resume flights starting Sunday evening, a day after the Canadian government issued a directive to end a cabin crew strike that caused the suspension of around 700 daily flights, stranding more than 100,000 passengers.
"I don't think anyone's in the mood to go back to work," Lillian Speedie, vice-president of CUPE Local 4092, told CBC's News Network at a picket line outside Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga on Sunday.
"To legislate us back to work 12 hours after we started? I'm sorry, snowstorms have shut down Air Canada for longer than we were allowed to strike."
WATCH | Federal government steps in to resolve Air Canada labour dispute:
The federal government moved to order the airline and its flight attendants back to work on Saturday, less than 12 hours after the strike and lockout took effect. The union has accused federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu of caving to Air Canada's demands.
Air Canada said Sunday it had been directed by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to resume operations and have flight attendants return to their duties by 2 p.m. ET.
It said the CIRB had ordered the terms of the collective agreement between the union and the airline that expired on March 31 be extended until a new agreement is reached.
CUPE announced early Saturday that its members were heading to the picket lines after being unable to reach an 11th-hour deal with the airline, while Air Canada locked out its agents about 30 minutes later due to the strike action.
Air Canada relies on government help: labour expert
Steven Tufts, associate professor and labour geographer at York University, says Air Canada has become dependent on the federal government to solve its labour-relations issues.
He mentioned last year's dispute between the airline and the pilots' union. Air Canada asked for the government to be ready to step in before the two sides reached a tentative agreement in September 2024.
"[Air Canada] tried to get the government to intervene with pilots last year," Tufts told CBC News Network.
"Air Canada has to learn not to call mommy and daddy every time they reach an impasse at the bargaining table. They have to actually sit down and get a deal done with their workers."
Earlier this week, Air Canada asked Hajdu to order the parties to enter a binding arbitration process. But intervention was something she resisted until Saturday afternoon, when she said it became clear the two sides were at an impasse.
CUPE maintained it opposed arbitration, instead preferring to solve the impasse through bargaining. It said her decision "sets a terrible precedent."
"The Liberal government is rewarding Air Canada's refusal to negotiate fairly by giving them exactly what they wanted," the union wrote in a statement Saturday afternoon.
The two sides are set to return to the table this week.
The union accused Air Canada of refusing to bargain in good faith due to the likelihood of the government stepping in and imposing arbitration.
It has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air.
CUPE announced it is calling a national day of action and will have demonstrators outside of the Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary airports this morning.
Flights by Air Canada Express, operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL, were not affected.
The airline says customers whose flights were cancelled and did not travel or accept a refund will be notified and provided with a new itinerary.