Latest news with #Laroche
Euronews
2 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Canadian government intervenes to avert Air Canada strike
ADVERTISEMENT Canada's government forced Air Canada and its striking flight attendants back to work and into arbitration Saturday, after a work stoppage stranded more than 100,000 travellers around the world during the peak summer travel season. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said now is not the time to take risks with the economy while announcing the intervention. It means the 10,000 flight attendants are set to return to work. "The talks broke down. It is clear that the parties are not any closer to resolving some of the key issues that remain and they will need help with the arbitrator,' Hajdu said. Hajdu said the full resumption of services could take days, noting it is up to the Canada Industrial Relations Board. The shutdown of Canada's largest airline early Saturday is impacting about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians may be stranded. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. The bitter contract fight between the 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. Sides are far apart on pay 21-year-old traveller Alex Laroche whose trip to Europe is in doubt 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 he paid for the 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 centre 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, an 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.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Air Canada strikes: Tourists stranded as 10,000 flight attendants walk out
130,000 travellers have been plunged into travel mayhem as Air Canada cancels all of its 700 daily flights as 10,000 flight attendants walk out on strike Tourists have had their travel plans plunged into chaos as Air Canada suspends all operations amid a huge flight attendant strike. More than 10,000 flight attendants for the major Canadian airline walked out early on Saturday after the airlines and union representing the workers failed to reach a deal. The airlines 700 flights per day were immediately cancelled after the industrial action started - including some flights to and from the UK. Passengers around the world were left stranded and scrambling for options during the peak summer travel season, as 130,000 people could be impacted for each day the industrial fallout continues. It comes after a plane passenger punches flight attendant after she makes simple request. READ MORE: Foreign Office warns of strict new alcohol rules and fines in Portugal's Algarve A bitter contract fight between Canada's largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated on Friday as the union turned down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration. This would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. Flight attendants walked off the job around 1am local time on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. All Air Canada flights from Heathrow Airport have been cancelled today, plunging UK flyers into chaos too. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their £4,200 ($8,000) trip with non-refundable lodging is on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France. 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 £1,600 ($3,000) they paid for their original tickets. He said: "At this point, it's just a waiting game." The flyer 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 centre of the contract negotiations. Laroche said: "Their wage is barely liveable." Canada's Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union on Friday night and urged them to work harder to them to reach a deal "once and for all". Hajdu said: "It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts." Pouliot, the spokesman for the union, said earlier that the union had a meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada on Friday evening. In an email, he wrote: "CUPE has engaged with the mediator to relay our willingness to continue bargaining — despite the fact that Air Canada has not countered our last two offers since Tuesday. We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike." It is not clear how many days the airline's planes will stay grounded, but 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. 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". 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. 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.
3 days ago
- Business
Air Canada cancels hundreds of flights as potential strike by flight attendants looms
TORONTO -- More than 300 Air Canada flights, many of them international trips, have been canceled as the clock ticked closer Friday to a possible strike by flight attendants, leaving travelers stranded around the world and scrambling during the peak summer travel season. The 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. Flight attendants were poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking out the flight attendants from airports. The actions threaten to impact about 130,000 travelers a day. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu on Friday urged both sides to work with federal mediators 'and get a deal done.' 'Time is precious and Canadians are counting on you,' Hajdu said in a statement. The Canadian carrier already started canceling flights Thursday. It expects to call off 500 flights by the end of Friday and almost all of its flights by Saturday morning. A complete shutdown threatens to impact about 130,000 people a day, and it could affect some 25,000 Canadians a day who may become stranded abroad. By Friday afternoon, Air Canada had called off at least 128 domestic flights and 194 international flights that were scheduled to depart on Friday and Saturday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. On Thursday, when the airline said it was beginning it's 'phased wind down' of most operations, 18 domestic flights and four international flights were canceled. 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 on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France. Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' he said. 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. 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. 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.' How long the airline's planes will be grounded remains to be seen. But 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.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inaugural ‘Springle! At Keller Station' brings people out to Donovan Park
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Springle! At Keller Station is supposed to be just like Kringle! At Keller Station, but in the spring. The event brought hundreds of people to Keller Station in Peoria to shop local businesses, eat at food trucks, and even talk with the Peoria Police Department. Danielle Laroche owns Lost Art in Keller Station and helped organize the event. She said after the success of the Christmas event, a springtime or summer version was highly requested 'First-time events are always a little bit hard, just because no one's aware of it. But, as it generates, kind of like Kringle!, we foresee this to become a big thing,' said Laroche. More than thirty local businesses and resources were set up in the parking lot of Keller Station. Kringle! At Keller Station was the inspiration behind Springle! At Keller Station. Kringle! is a Christmas event that brings out local small businesses, resources and even Santa Claus. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Ottawa Citizen
24-04-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Hum: Caméline in Vieux-Hull indulges a passion for creative pasta
Article content Grilled white asparagus ($23), bolstered with guanciale, grated egg yolk and tarragon aioli, felt like a high-in-umami delicacy. Article content We then shared three of the menu's four pasta dishes. Article content Skewing sweet were the agnolotti filled with roasted beet and house-made ricotta, adorned with stracciatella di bufala (the delicate Italian buffalo-milk cheese), orange honey and poppy seeds ($29). On a plate of toothsome tagliatelle verde ($33), earthy wild mushrooms, black garlic and Calabrian chili were all impactful. Article content Article content Article content Carivnore that I am, I preferred the wild boar tortelletti with gremolata, well-salted kale and fried shallots ($34). But my companions had different favourites among the perfectly al dente pastas. That, of course, is a very good sign. Article content Ordering the three appealing but distinct desserts was a no-brainer. Maple gelato affogato ($12) provided the proper sweet, caffeinated jolt. A well-made slice of white chocolate and blood orange tart ($14) nailed its combination of flavours and textures. A slice of upside down banana cake with brown butter cream and ginger crumble ($15) was super-moist and comforting. Article content Article content Before dinner, cocktails ($11 to $18), such as the mix of mezcal, Aperol, lime juice and pineapple juice that I had, were interesting and well-balanced. Article content The always evolving list of privately imported wines chosen by co-owner Alexandre Régimbal includes about a dozen each of whites and reds. Currently, bottles range from $70 to $105. About 10 wines, including an orange wine and a rosé, are available by the glass. I asked someone who knows much more about wine than I do to survey the list and he called it 'an interesting list of food-friendly wines with a focus on low intervention.' Article content He also remarked that about two-thirds of the bottles are from France or Quebec, and just four are from Italy. I responded that perhaps Caméline thinks of itself as a Québécois restaurant that happens to specialize in pasta, rather than an Italian restaurant per se. Article content Later, when I spoke to Laroche and Régimbal, they said I'd hit the nail on the head. Camelina oil, as we anglophones would say, is a Quebec product, and so the restaurant's name nods to some provincial pride on the part of Laroche, Régimbal, and fellow co-owner Audrey Labelle. Article content Further to that, Laroche offered the example of a cacio e pepe pasta that he's made. His riff on that Italian classic involved Quebec cheese and dune pepper, also native to Quebec. Article content I'd like to try that dish if it ever returns to Caméline's menu. I'd also like to sit on the restaurant's back patio, which will seat about 30 when it opens in a month or so. Article content By then, it will truly be spring. Goodbye, root vegetables. Green asparagus and other seasonal delights will be available. Article content
