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Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Air Canada is ordered to squash union conflict as passengers are left in limbo over hundreds of cancelled flights
The Canadian government has ordered Air Canada to squash its union conflict after tens of thousands of staff went on strike, grounding hundreds of flights and leaving passengers stranded. Air Canada announced a full suspension of operations on Saturday as 10,000 flight attendants walked out amid a bitter contract dispute - a move expected to disrupt travel for 130,000 customers each day. Hours into the strike, Jobs Minister Patty Hadju stepped in, ordering binding arbitration, a high-stakes legal process where a neutral third party delivers a final, non-negotiable decision both sides must accept. The measure was imposed between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents over 10,000 of the airline's flight attendants. 'It is disappointing to have to conclude today that Air Canada and CUPE flight attendants are at an impasse and remain unable to resolve their dispute,' Hadju said in a statement. Hadju also noted that with massive delays stranding hundreds of travelers, the government felt compelled to intervene in order to protect the country's 'stability and supply chains' which are at risk from prolonged travel disruptions. By invoking Section 107 of the Canada Labor Code, the government has compelled both sides back to the bargaining table to end the strike. CUPE quickly responded on X, accusing Canada's Liberal Party of 'violating our charter rights' and warning that the government's intervention 'sets a terrible precedent'. Jobs Minister Patty Hadju (pictured) stepped in, ordering binding arbitration - a high-stakes legal process where a neutral third party delivers a final, non-negotiable decision both sides must accept The binding arbitration was imposed between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents over 10,000 of the airline's flight attendants 'The Liberals have talked out of both sides of their mouths. They said the best place for this is at the bargaining table,' Wesley Lesosky, President of Air Canada Component of CUPE, said in the statement. 'They refused to correct this injustice through legislation,' he added. 'Now, when we're at the bargaining table with an obstinate employer, the Liberals are violating our Charter rights to take job action and give Air Canada exactly what they want - hours and hours of unpaid labor from underpaid flight attendants, while the company pulls in sky-high profits and extraordinary executive compensation.' Air Canada - the country's largest airline - said the strike will disrupt around 500 flights daily, causing delays, cancellations, and other issues while it continues. The feud escalated Friday, after the union turned down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike had started after no deal was reached and operations were halted shortly after. Air Canada said it planned to begin locking flight attendants out of airports as the walkout commenced. In a Saturday press release, the airline said the travel disruptions were 'necessary' after the union called a 72-hour strike demanding higher wages and pay for time spent working while planes are on the ground. The airline said the travel disruptions were 'necessary' after the union called a 72-hour strike demanding higher wages and pay for time spent working while planes are on the ground (stock) The industrial action started around 1am ET, instantly grounding all 700 daily flights the airline operates. As of 10am, more than 13,000 Air Canada flights were delayed and 988 cancelled, according to FlightAware tracking data. The airline 'strongly' advised passengers not to travel to the airport and doubled down on its commitment to 'negotiate the renewal of its collective agreement' with the union. But travelers were outraged by the statement, arguing online that Air Canada is 'treating customers with total disdain' and 'refusing to take responsibility for its own shortcomings in labor relations'. Others stood by the striking workers, demanding the airline pay flight attendants fairly.' Air Canada and CUPE have been negotiating for about eight months but have yet to reach a tentative agreement, with both sides saying they remain far apart on key issues. The airline's latest offer included a 38 percent increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8 percent raise in the first year didn´t go far enough because of inflation.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Trump's cold brew: New York coffee shops warn of higher prices amid steep tariffs
The Trump administration has targeted Brazil with steep US tariffs of 50%. Coffee shops in the heart of New York are bracing for impact. When the Trump administration announced another wave of sweeping tariffs, particularly on Brazil, Stone Street Cafe's managing partner was first confused. Then came fear. A cafe already runs on slim margins and extra costs passed on from tariffs could risk everything. 'If these tariffs are long term, it will put our business in jeopardy,' Antony Garrigues, managing partner of Stone Street Cafe, said. 'In New York City, the operating costs are already so high, and these tariffs will make everything much more expensive. 'In the end, if people cannot afford our coffee, and we do not have a profit margin, we will not make it.' Stone Street Cafe, based in Manhattan, sources green coffee beans from more than 35 different countries, including Brazil. But Brazil is not the only coffee-producing nation facing tariff pressures: Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia and Indonesia are also affected. 'These tariffs are not paid by the country. The costs are passed down to the business owner, and consumer,' noted Garrigues. 'For now, we are going to try and absorb as much [of] the cost as we can. But at the end of the day, this is a business – so we may have to increase the prices.' With the growing effects of climate change already inflating coffee prices, other cafes have already done so. Aside from coffee Ciao Gloria, in Brooklyn, also imports cocoa powder from Brazil. Jams sourced from Italy now face Trump's 15% tariff on exports from the European Union. The cafe raised prices by about 25 cents per cup, but plans to absorb any additional tariffs costs, at least for now. 'I'm selling sugar and caffeine – I'm basically a drug dealer,' joked owner Renato Poliafito. 'So I want to make sure the menu is affordable.' But then he turned serious. 'We have to be vigilant about analyzing the situation before jumping to price increases.' Customers are already scrutinizing their receipts. US coffee prices rose 14.5% in the year to July, according to official data. 'It's this idea of shifting baseline where we normalize something being expensive when it shouldn't [be], and it's very scary to see,' said Helina Seyoum, 29, who has reverted to making coffee at home. 'Now a morning coffee becomes a burden, because you're obsessing over the costs.' A daily cafe trip was how Aley Longo, 28, made sure she escaped the confines of her studio apartment and spoke to people outside work in an 'affordable' way. Now it's strictly a weekend activity. Trump's tariffs are 'bad for Americans, and our quality of life', Longo said, 'and we are suffering, whether it's as tiny as just being able to buy coffee out, or something so much bigger'. Those behind the counter know what it's like to watch the price of a regular purchase grow. Allon Azulai, who owns Kos Kaffe in Brooklyn, which imports beans from countries including Colombia, Honduras and Kenya, described nervously asking vendors for their latest prices each week, as tariffs and mounting demand looms large. 'Right now the industry is so unstable and what worries me if tariffs continue is cafes that do not have big pockets will not be able to survive,' said Azulai. As US cafes come under pressure, the coffee producers they source from are also preparing for disruption. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and exporter. The US is the leading destination of its coffee: about a third of its coffee imports are Brazilian. The Brazilian Soluble Coffee Industry Association, which represents producers, said the 50% US tariff on the country's exports amounted to a 'clear competitive disadvantage' as other leading countries for coffee production face lower rates, ranging from 10% to 27%. 'This decision not only harms the Brazilian industry but could also negatively affect American consumers, who benefit from the quality and competitive price of our coffee,' the association said. Brazilian producers and exporters still hope they can lobby for coffee to be exempt from US tariffs, arguing the US produces very little coffee domestically. The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, had previously suggested products not cultivated on American soil could be granted zero tariffs, they note. If that fails Brazil's Coffee Exporters Council says it will at least seek to reduce the tariff on coffee to 10%, in line with other Brazilian goods, including oil, orange juice and aircraft. 'We remain optimistic and hopeful,' the council said. New coffee export deals with the US are on hold and shipments ready to go are stuck in storage, adding costs for exporters. China has meanwhile approved 183 new Brazilian firms to export coffee, although the exporters' council cautioned that sales may take time to materialize. In Vietnam and Colombia – the world's second and third largest coffee-producing nations, respectively – exporters hope that lower US tariffs on their coffee will help them steal a march on Brazil. 'The US can't grow coffee at scale, so tariffs won't bring production back home,' Timen Swijtink, founder of Lacàph Coffees in Vietnam, said. 'With the tiny margins in our industry, any tariff cost goes straight to the American consumer.' Even with 20% US tariffs on Vietnam, the country's farmers 'are resilient and will find new markets', added Swijtink, 'with global demand strong and China's demand growing like a rocket ship'. With the US tariff on Colombia only at the baseline 10%, small coffee growers across the country are shrugging off any immediate impacts. 'The average coffee farmer won't feel it, at least for now,' said José David Posada, a fourth-generation coffee farmer and owner of Capilla del Rosario, a finca in Medellín. 'It's the exporters who will be impacted.' There is also a sense among some that, given Brazil's tariffs are at 50%, Trump's tariff war could even help Colombian business. The country's coffee cultivation is vital to the national economy, representing 8% of total Colombian exports. Posada said: 'The fact that Brazil has a higher tariff, obviously that's going to have a positive impact on us, right?' Guilherme Morya, a coffee analyst at Rabobank, said the 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee may, at least in the short term, shift American buyers toward other sources. 'Colombia gains a price advantage, and being the second-largest supplier, it becomes the most obvious candidate to fill this gap,' he said. But Alejandro Lloreda, a farmer at family-run Cafetal de la Trinidad, which produces specialty coffee, cautioned the difference would only give Colombia 'a temporary advantage'. 'A coffee tree can take two to three years to produce, and the tariff situation could well change before then,' he said. Back in New York, cafe owners find themselves in an equally uncertain position. 'The tariffs are to small businesses' detriment,' said Poliafito, of Ciao Gloria. 'Big businesses can find a way around it. But we will suffer the costs.' 'It's scary to not know if we can continue our business,' added Nick Kim, manager of Koré Coffee in Manhattan. 'It's really a shame, and sad, that you know bad things are coming, but you cannot do anything to change it. We have no option but to see what will come.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
FLOURISHING AFTER 50: My husband and I split up last year. I'm now broke and too ashamed to ask for help
Dear Vanessa, I'm 54 and feel like my whole life is falling apart. My husband and I split up last year, and since then, my finances have spiralled. I'm drowning in credit card debt and behind on my mortgage. Some days I can't even get out of bed - the worry makes me feel physically sick. I feel too ashamed to tell my adult kids how bad it is, and I've started avoiding my friends because I can't afford to go out. I know I need to face this, but the anxiety is crippling me. Where do I even start when my mind is a mess, and my money is worse? Megan. Dear Megan, Thank you for putting this into words. It takes real courage to say, 'I need help.' So many women over 50 are carrying this silent burden. Debt is one of the biggest causes of financial stress for people rebuilding after separation - and the shame that comes with it can feel just as heavy. Debt loses its power when you face it step by step. Start by writing down exactly what you owe - credit cards, loans, mortgage, everything. Seeing the true numbers can feel terrifying, but it is the first step to taking back control. Next, look at what's coming in. Are you working? Could you pick up a few extra shifts or side work to bring in even a few hundred dollars more each week? Small extra amounts add up over time. Think about what you own too - do you have a spare room you could rent out for a while? Could you sell things you no longer need to ease the pressure? Every bit of extra cash helps. Contact your bank and ask about hardship options. Many lenders will work with you to pause payments or restructure what you owe - they would rather help than see you fall further behind. And please call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007. It's free and confidential - they talk to people in your exact situation every day. Remember, this is not just about money, it's about how this stress is weighing on your mind and body. I asked Chelsea Pottenger, founder of EQ Minds and an expert in mental wellbeing, for her thoughts too, because your headspace needs care just as much as your finances. Chelsea says: 'When money stress builds up, it triggers survival mode - your mind can freeze and your body reacts with panic. The shame feeds isolation, but you are not alone and you don't have to stay stuck. 'Try tiny resets such as a short walk, fresh air, and deep breathing to calm your nervous system so you can face the next step. And please, tell someone you trust, there is power in sharing what you're carrying.' Megan, this fear will start to shrink once you take action - one small step, then another. That is how you go from stuck to steady. You do not have to do it alone. If you want to see more about what financial stress does to the body and how to break that cycle - watch my conversation with Chelsea. We talk through what really happens in your mind under pressure, and simple steps that can help you rebuild your money and your mental health, one day at a time. Take a breath. Watch when you're ready. And remember - help is out there, and you deserve it.
