Air Canada cancels flights in prep for flight attendant strike
Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Air Canada has canceled most of its flights over the next few days to prepare for a strike by flight attendants.
It issued a 72-hour lockout notice ahead of the strike by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 10,000 flight attendants.
"To provide customers certainty, Air Canada will begin a phased wind down of most of its operations to be completed over the next three days," the airline said in a statement. "The airline has also sought government-directed arbitration to resolve the situation."
The airline warned that some customers could be stranded.
"Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge carry approximately 130,000 customers a day who could be affected by a disruption, this includes the 25,000 Canadians that the airline flies home from abroad each day, who could be stranded," Air Canada said.
Air Canada Rouge is the airline's lower-cost, leisure brand.
Flights operated by regional affiliates Jazz and PAL will continue during the strike.
Wages appear to be the main issue in the negotiations. CUPE said negotiators are not satisfied with the airline's offers for wage increases and other forms of compensation. It rejected a proposal to continue contract talks in arbitration.
"For the past nine months, we have put forward solid, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work, all rooted in fairness and industry standards," said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, in a statement. "Air Canada's response to our proposals makes one thing clear: they are not interested in resolving these critical issues."
The union said the airline is "refusing to increase flight attendant wages to match industry standards, inflation, or even federal minimum wage. Entry-level flight attendant wages have only gone up $3 per hour since 2000, while inflation has increased by 69% in the same timeframe."
The airline said it offered a compensation package on Monday, but the union rejected it.
"Air Canada tabled a revised comprehensive proposal to the union on Aug. 11, which sought no concessions in return from its flight attendants and provided for a 38% total compensation increase over four years. The offer also addressed the issue of ground pay, improved pensions and benefits, increased crew rest and contained other improvements."
The union said, "Air Canada's offer of an 8% wage increase in year one would not even recoup the 9% that flight attendants have lost in purchasing power over the course of their previous contract. It is, in effect, a pay cut."
The group is prepared to help its members during the strike.
"Our locals have had to set up food banks in our union offices for junior members who cannot afford groceries," Lesosky said. "Our members need and deserve a fair wage increase that makes everyone whole for the skyrocketing cost of living, and one that lifts our junior flight attendants out of poverty."
Neither has said how long they believe the strike will last.
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