Latest news with #HughPouliot
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Air Canada suspends operations as flight attendants go on strike
TORONTO — Air Canada suspended operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season. Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike had started after no deal was reached, and the airline said it halted operations. A bitter contract fight between Canada's largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as 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. A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians may be stranded abroad daily. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. Keelin Pringnitz, from Ottawa, was returning with her family from a European vacation when they became stranded at London's Heathrow Airport after flights were canceled. She said there was an option for the travelers in line to go the United States, but they were told there wouldn't be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. 'It didn't go over well with the line. Nobody really seemed interested, everybody seemed a little bit amused almost at the suggestion, or exasperated, because it is a bit ridiculous to offer to take stranded passengers to a different country to strand them there,' she said. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is in doubt. They had a Saturday night flight to Nice, France, booked. Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union late Friday and urged them to work harder to reach a deal 'once and for all.' 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. Ian Lee, associate professor, Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, said he expects the government to intervene within five days if the strike is not settled quickly, noting the government repeatedly does so in transportation strikes. 'They will intervene to bring the strike to an end. Why? Because it has happened 45 times from 1950 until now,' Lee said. 'It is all because of the incredible dependency of Canadians.' Canada is the second-largest country in the world and flying is often the only viable option. 'We're so huge a country and it's so disruptive when there is a strike of any kind in transportation,' Lee said. The government forced the country's two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union last year during a work stoppage. The union for the rail workers is suing, arguing the government is removing a union's leverage in negotiations. The Business Council of Canada has urged the government to impose binding arbitration in this case, too. Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. Laroche said he was initially upset over the union's decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages. 'Their wage is barely livable,' Laroche said. Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. 'We are heartbroken for our passengers. Nobody wants to see Canadians stranded or anxious about their travel plans but we cannot work for free,' said Natasha Stea, a Air Canada flight attendant and local union president. The attendants are about 70% women. Stea said Air Canada pilots, who are male dominated, received a significant raise last year and questioned whether they are getting fair treatment. The airline's latest offer included a 38% 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% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation. 'We're the national carrier and we have people operating in poverty. Like that's disgusting, that's very problematic,' Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, said at a news conference.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
130,000 stranded daily: How Air Canada's pay dispute is wrecking summer travel
Synopsis Air Canada has halted all flights after more than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday, stranding about 130,000 passengers each day during peak summer travel. The strike, led by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, follows months of deadlocked negotiations over pay and unpaid duties. The shutdown has disrupted flights to India and beyond, leaving many travellers facing cancelled trips and soaring rebooking costs. Refunds are being offered, but alternatives are limited as planes across the industry remain full. AP Air Canada planes sit on the runway at Pearson International Airport as flight attendants go on strike in Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP) Air Canada has suspended all operations after over 10,000 flight attendants began strike action just after 1 am EDT on Saturday. The airline said it would halt flights across its mainline services and its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge, and advised passengers not to go to airports unless rebooked. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the walkout, saying it followed failed efforts to secure a deal. 'We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike,' Pouliot said, adding that Air Canada had not responded to the union's two most recent proposals since Tuesday. By Friday night, 623 flights had already been cancelled, affecting more than 100,000 people, according to figures cited by AFP. The airline operates around 700 flights daily, and the shutdown is now impacting roughly 130,000 passengers each day, including an estimated 25,000 Canadians strike escalated after CUPE refused Air Canada's request to enter government-directed arbitration, a move that would have removed its right to strike and handed the decision to a Canada argued its offer of a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including benefits and pensions, 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' A senior flight attendant, under this plan, would earn about C$87,000 by 2027. The union, however, rejected the deal, calling it 'below inflation and below market value.' CUPE is also demanding pay for ground duties such as boarding, which remain unpaid. The practice is common in the airline industry, but union leaders argue it is Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met both sides late Friday and urged them to break the stalemate. 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' she said in a Business Council of Canada has pressed the government to impose binding arbitration. Its chief executive, Goldy Hyder, warned: 'At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians.'The standoff mirrors government intervention in 2023, when Canada's two largest railroads were forced into arbitration during a strike, a decision now being legally challenged by the railway strike has left thousands scrambling for alternatives. Canada's geography adds to the strain: in a country of vast distances, flying is often the only resident Alex Laroche, 21, said he and his girlfriend had saved since Christmas for an $8,000 European holiday. With non-refundable bookings and a Saturday night flight to Nice at stake, their plans now hang in the balance. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' Laroche told admitted he was initially frustrated with the strike but changed his view after learning more about the wage dispute. 'Their wage is barely livable,' he Canada says affected passengers can apply for full refunds via its website or app. It has promised to arrange alternative flights with other carriers when possible, though it cautioned that 'due to the summer travel peak' many seats are already sold said he considered booking with another airline, but prices had soared. 'Most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 we paid for our original tickets.'The disruption has reached India-bound services, with direct flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to New Delhi cancelled. Connecting services from Calgary via London were also agents say some relief may come through Air Canada's membership in the Star Alliance, which includes Air India. 'They are being moved to other routes, they will be protected by arrangements with other airlines. But some impact will be there,' said Vibhor Chhabra, director of Toronto-based Grand before the strike officially began, Air Canada had started cancelling long-haul services. In a post on Thursday, it said the union had rejected a temporary agreement to allow stranded passengers to return from overseas. 'As a result, 25,000 additional passengers are going to be stranded abroad,' the airline Canada normally runs daily flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kochi from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Canada's chief operating officer Mark Nasr has warned that even once a deal is reached, it could take up to a week to restore full operations. With a fleet of 259 aircraft and flights to 180 cities across 64 countries, the impact of the shutdown is experts believe neither side can afford a long stoppage. Rafael Gomez, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for Industrial Relations, told AFP that while unpaid pre-flight work is a common issue worldwide, CUPE has effectively presented it as one of fairness. He added, 'That's a very good issue to highlight.'He also suggested the strike would not last long. 'This is peak season. The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They're almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.'For now, passengers remain caught in the middle, their plans upended and their patience tested, as one of the busiest travel seasons in years grinds to a halt.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
130,000 stranded daily: How Air Canada's pay dispute is wrecking summer travel
Air Canada has suspended all operations after over 10,000 flight attendants began strike action just after 1 am EDT on Saturday. The airline said it would halt flights across its mainline services and its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge, and advised passengers not to go to airports unless rebooked. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the walkout, saying it followed failed efforts to secure a deal. 'We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike,' Pouliot said, adding that Air Canada had not responded to the union's two most recent proposals since Tuesday. By Friday night, 623 flights had already been cancelled, affecting more than 100,000 people, according to figures cited by AFP. The airline operates around 700 flights daily, and the shutdown is now impacting roughly 130,000 passengers each day, including an estimated 25,000 Canadians abroad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What If Your Neck Is Causing Your Ear Ringing? Tinnitus Experts Undo Union rejects arbitration The strike escalated after CUPE refused Air Canada's request to enter government-directed arbitration, a move that would have removed its right to strike and handed the decision to a mediator. Air Canada argued its offer of a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including benefits and pensions, 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' A senior flight attendant, under this plan, would earn about C$87,000 by 2027. Live Events The union, however, rejected the deal, calling it 'below inflation and below market value.' CUPE is also demanding pay for ground duties such as boarding, which remain unpaid. The practice is common in the airline industry, but union leaders argue it is unfair. Government and business leaders step in Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met both sides late Friday and urged them to break the stalemate. 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' she said in a statement. The Business Council of Canada has pressed the government to impose binding arbitration. Its chief executive, Goldy Hyder, warned: 'At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians.' The standoff mirrors government intervention in 2023, when Canada's two largest railroads were forced into arbitration during a strike, a decision now being legally challenged by the railway union. Travellers stranded in peak summer season The strike has left thousands scrambling for alternatives. Canada's geography adds to the strain: in a country of vast distances, flying is often the only option. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, said he and his girlfriend had saved since Christmas for an $8,000 European holiday. With non-refundable bookings and a Saturday night flight to Nice at stake, their plans now hang in the balance. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' Laroche told reporters. He admitted he was initially frustrated with the strike but changed his view after learning more about the wage dispute. 'Their wage is barely livable,' he said. Air Canada says affected passengers can apply for full refunds via its website or app. It has promised to arrange alternative flights with other carriers when possible, though it cautioned that 'due to the summer travel peak' many seats are already sold out. Laroche said he considered booking with another airline, but prices had soared. 'Most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 we paid for our original tickets.' India routes disrupted The disruption has reached India-bound services, with direct flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to New Delhi cancelled. Connecting services from Calgary via London were also affected. Travel agents say some relief may come through Air Canada's membership in the Star Alliance, which includes Air India. 'They are being moved to other routes, they will be protected by arrangements with other airlines. But some impact will be there,' said Vibhor Chhabra, director of Toronto-based Grand Travel. Even before the strike officially began, Air Canada had started cancelling long-haul services. In a post on Thursday, it said the union had rejected a temporary agreement to allow stranded passengers to return from overseas. 'As a result, 25,000 additional passengers are going to be stranded abroad,' the airline posted. Air Canada normally runs daily flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kochi from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. What lies ahead Air Canada's chief operating officer Mark Nasr has warned that even once a deal is reached, it could take up to a week to restore full operations. With a fleet of 259 aircraft and flights to 180 cities across 64 countries, the impact of the shutdown is vast. Industry experts believe neither side can afford a long stoppage. Rafael Gomez, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for Industrial Relations, told AFP that while unpaid pre-flight work is a common issue worldwide, CUPE has effectively presented it as one of fairness. He added, 'That's a very good issue to highlight.' He also suggested the strike would not last long. 'This is peak season. The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They're almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.' For now, passengers remain caught in the middle, their plans upended and their patience tested, as one of the busiest travel seasons in years grinds to a halt.
National Post
a day ago
- Business
- National Post
CUPE to Share Update on Air Canada Strike/Lockout
Article content TORONTO — Representatives from the Air Canada Component of CUPE and CUPE National will be available today to provide an update on the Air Canada strike/lockout. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Hugh Pouliot CUPE Media Relations (EN) hpouliot@ 613-818-0067 Article content Article content Article content
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Flight chaos in Canada: 10,000 Air Canada attendants strike; operations suspended, thousands of travelers stranded
Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants begin strike, grounding all mainline flights and disrupting travel for thousands nationwide Air Canada suspended operations on Saturday as more than 10,000 flight attendants went on strike, leaving travelers stranded during the peak summer travel season. Strike begins after failed negotiations Flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), walked off the job around 1 am EDT after failing to reach a new contract deal. The union rejected Air Canada's request for government-directed arbitration, which would have removed the right to strike and allowed a third-party mediator to decide the terms. CUPE spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike, while Air Canada simultaneously announced it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Government intervenes Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both parties Friday night, urging them to reach an agreement. 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' Hajdu said. The federal government previously forced Canada's major railroads into arbitration during a labor dispute, and some business groups are calling for similar action in this case. Travelers in limbo The shutdown affects about 130,000 people per day, including some 25,000 Canadians potentially stranded abroad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mystical Forest Vase: Hot Sale topgadgetlife Shop Now Undo Air Canada operates roughly 700 flights daily, making the strike a major disruption in a country where flying is often the only practical travel option. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, described his frustration as he awaited news on his $8,000 nonrefundable trip to Europe. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' he said, noting that alternative flights are scarce and expensive. Sticking points in negotiations The dispute centers on pay and compensation for unpaid work when planes are not in the air. Air Canada's latest offer included a 38% total compensation increase over four years, which it said would make attendants the best compensated in Canada. The union argued the proposed 8% raise in the first year did not keep pace with inflation. Recovery uncertain Air Canada COO Mark Nasr warned it could take up to a week to resume operations once a tentative deal is reached fully. Passengers affected are eligible for refunds or alternative travel options where possible, though full rebooking cannot be guaranteed due to the summer travel peak. The strike marks a dramatic escalation in a bitter contract fight that has lasted eight months, with both sides showing no immediate signs of compromise.
