Air Canada flight attendants in Winnipeg angry after feds order binding arbitration

CBC

17 hours ago

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Striking flight attendants in Winnipeg reacted with anger and frustration on Saturday, after the federal government said they would order binding arbitration, and send them back to work.
"I'm very, very disappointed, our bargaining rights were taken away," Air Canada flight attendant Shannon Marion said on Saturday. "Politicians are always there for the people during election time, but when it comes to when they're in office, I guess it's big-corporation time.
"I guess Canadians don't have a voice anymore."
Marion was reacting after just hearing the news Saturday afternoon (EST) that Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu had invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order binding arbitration between Air Canada and its union, and has ordered operations to resume at Canada's largest airliner.
More than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job at midnight CT on Saturday after the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the union representing them, and Air Canada were not able to reach a labour deal last week.
Members of the Air Canada component of CUPE voted 99.7 in favour of a strike mandate last week, as the two sides said they were at an "impasse."
The strike was short-lived however, as Hajdu announced early Saturday afternoon they would go to binding arbitration in the labour dispute.
Under the order, the existing collective agreement between Air Canada and flight attendants will be extended until a new agreement is instituted by the arbitrator, Hajdu said.
CUPE Manitoba president Gina McKay, who was on Saturday's picket line at the airport in Winnipeg, blasted the federal government for getting involved in the labour dispute.
"The Liberals are taking away our right to strike, they're interfering at the bargaining table," McKay said. "We're here to bargain fairly, collectively, that is our legal right in Canada.
"And what we're seeing here today is that these workers are having their bargaining rights, their union rights stripped from them, so it's an absolute shame to see that the bargaining table has been taken away, when we're here in a fair way."
Jangdip Ghuman is trying to get back to Munich, Germany after spending time with family in Winnipeg, and said because of cancelled Air Canada flights, he could be out of a job if he doesn't get back soon.
"I am also a worker in Germany, and I feel very bad for my situation," he said.
Ghuman said his boss has threatened that he could be fired from his job if he misses work due to the strike, which he said has left him stressed and anxious as he tries to get home, and hold on to his job.
Air Canada had warned that about 130,000 customers a day could be affected by a disruption.
In a statement Hajdu said, "After eight months of negotiations by the parties, and after meeting with both parties last night and urging them to work hard to reach a deal, 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.
"The government firmly believes that the best deals are reached by the parties at the bargaining table. It has now become clear that this dispute won't be resolved at the table. Canadians are increasingly finding themselves in very difficult situations and the strike is rapidly impacting the Canadian economy," the minister added.
As of Saturday it was unclear when Air Canada flight attendants could be back on the job and when the airliner planned to resume normal operations.