Ottawa imposes binding arbitration, forcing Air Canada flight attendants back to work
The union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada announced its members were walking off the job after it was unable to reach an eleventh-hour deal with the airline. The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday and in turn, Air Canada locked out its agents about 30 minutes later due to the strike action.
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Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
The Bookless Club: What happened in Vegas for you?
Vegas is in the news of late. Not because of yet another Cirque de Soleil show or a star-studded line-up at the Sphere. Nope. Vegas is in the news because, despite perennially topping the list of holiday destinations in North America, traffic is down. Way down. We did that. Canadians. We're angry, and our anger is being felt. Measurably so. In fact, there's even a name for the effect of alienated tourists on tourism. They're calling it the Trump Slump, and it's putting the squeeze on Nevada's economy. Las Vegas hotel occupancy was down 15 per cent in June this year compared to June of 2024. International visitors dropped by 13 per cent in the same period. Air Canada saw a drop of 33 per cent in passengers flying to Vegas this June compared to last June. WestJet saw about the same stats, and Edmonton-based Flair Airline experienced a 62 per cent plummet in the number of people traveling to Vegas in June this year versus a year ago. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. All this means that unemployment is spiralling upwards in the state. Las Vegas has the third-highest unemployment rate of major cities in the U.S., and Nevada has the highest state unemployment rate, nationally. Now, it's not just Canadians impacting the Nevada economy. California is Vegas' bread and butter. One out of every five people who visit Vegas come from Southern California. One quarter of all employees in Vegas are immigrants. Some industry insiders say that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are casting a long shadow on tourism, a shadow felt by both visitors and workers alike. We haven't even touched upon currency issues, but it wasn't so long ago that Vegas offered such good value that currency conversion was offset by cheap buffets and free drinks. All that's gone now. Vegas is anything but a bargain. In its heyday, Vegas was a swift, affordable little getaway. A couple of hours on a direct flight took you to reliable weather and great shows. What's not to like? I can say that as my losses at the tables probably never totalled more than $14.67, but it was sure fun watching the high rollers sweating behind a stack of chips. The trouble is, there are fewer and fewer high rollers. Realizing this, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority decided back in 2003 that they needed to rebrand Vegas as more than just a place to lose money. The idea became to capitalize on the sort of hijinks that adults can get into when they're a long way from home. That idea became the now infamous slogan, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'. The ad agency that came up with this line said the concept was all about 'adult freedom and empowerment.' They were using the word 'adult' here in its loosest, third margarita, sense. The big question in Nevada is, when the Trump Slump ends, will things go back to business as usual? If not, what sort of bait are they going to need to lure us back? Jane Macdougall is a freelance writer and former National Post columnist who lives in Vancouver. She writes The Bookless Club every Saturday online and in The Vancouver Sun. For more of what Jane's up to, check out her website, Question: What happened in Vegas for you? Any stories you can share? Send your answers by email text, not an attachment, in 100 words or less, along with your full name to Jane at thebooklessclub@ . We will print some next week in this space. Question: Do you compost? Any tips? • We have weekly pickup of our yard waste/compost bins. I insist on layering in my bin, starting with yard trimmings, then compost, then yard trimmings, etc. I reserve a bucket or so of spare yard trimmings for using in winter when there is less of it available. Layering helps control the mess and odours, especially when the weather is hot. This also helps deter the local raccoons from dumping and looting the bin. Pam Holley • I live on the Sunshine Coast where we have a local company called Salish Soils that runs the curb-side green bin program. They turn our kitchen scraps and green waste into wonderful garden compost products. I was shocked to hear from them that they have to 'divert' a lot of the green bin contents (which means place in the dump) due to those pesky little plastic stickers that retailers insist on attaching to fruit and vegetable skins. The labels do not biodegrade, and contaminate the process. So, wherever you live, please be sure to remove those annoying plastic labels from all products before placing them in your compost bin. Mother Nature thanks you. Michele Libling • Maybe a bit off the topic, but important to me. Composting is important, but can be messy at times. And what to do with the grease, oil, bones, and fruit stickers? My solution would be selective composting, all the rest, including garbage and non-recyclables, would be incinerated. It may produce some toxic waste, but so do all other forms of disposal. Added benefit would be energy to heat our homes. Henk Hengeveld • In 1973, we purchased our property in Surrey. That is when I began having a five-gallon bucket in our lunchroom at work. On Saturdays, we would travel out to our property and deposit the compost in our organic pile. After our house was built and our company expanded, I had two five-gallon buckets each week. Now, 52 years later, I still have two or three piles on the go. I mix finished compost, garden soil, leaf mould and wood ashes to create my potting soil. Do not add meat, bones or cooked food to your compost. We utilize a milk jug, sitting near the sink, with the top cut off, to collect all our organics. Feed the soil and the soil will feed you. Robert Dares • I sometimes make my own bone meal for the garden. I've been known to save up chicken bones and then dessicate them when running the oven for dinner. The dried bones then get smashed with a hammer — wear goggles — and added to the soil. Works a charm and doesn't cost a cent. D. Ng • I have a bowl on the counter for scraps when preparing a meal. Then it all goes into a recycled lunch paper bag in the freezer. When that is full, off to the bin from the city that we apartment dwellers have. I miss my old house with a big composter. But as someone who started composting in the 1960s (my dad grew up in small northern Ontario sawmill villages where nobody wasted food), I can't imagine not composting. Deni Loubert
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Air Canada to restart flights Sunday after Ottawa intervenes in strike
Air Canada says it plans to resume flights today after the federal government stepped in and ordered binding arbitration to end a flight attendants' strike Saturday. The Montreal-based airline says the first flights will resume this evening, but that it will take several days before its operations return to normal. Air Canada says it has been directed by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to resume operations and have flight attendants continue their duties by 2 p.m. ET. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The federal government ordered the airline and its flight attendants back to work Saturday, ending a strike and lockout after less than 12 hours. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants, has accused federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu of caving to Air Canada's demands. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, announced its members were heading to the picket lines after being unable to reach an eleventh-hour deal with the airline, while Air Canada locked out its agents about 30 minutes later due to the strike action.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Air Canada service to resume Sunday following labour board ruling
Air Canada said it will resume flights on Sunday after the airline and striking Air Canada flight attendants were told to return to their jobs by the federal government, which ordered the company and its workers into binding arbitrations. The Canada Industrial Relations Board directed the company and the workers to resume airline service operations for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights at 2 p.m. ET Sunday after a hearing that ran late into the night Saturday. However, the Montreal-based airline said due to the complete shutdown of service early Saturday, which left crew out of position, its first flights won't take to the skies until Sunday evening, according to a statement from the company. Air Canada warned further flight cancellations will occur over the next week as it resumes normal operations. 'Air Canada expects it will take several days before its operations return to normal. During this process, some flights will be canceled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized,' the statement said. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu had ordered the parties to resume work and extend the terms of the existing collective agreement until a new one could be determined by an arbitrator. Air Canada, union await decision from federal labour board on flight attendants' return to work A lawyer for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents flight attendants, had asked the board to delay implementing the minister's order to give it time to seek an injunction from the federal court. The board concluded it did not have authority to review or block the government's decision. As of Saturday evening Air Canada had cancelled 623 flights, impacting more than 100,000 travellers. The company said customers whose flights were cancelled, and who did not travel or accept a refund or credit, will be contacted with new itineraries.
