Latest news with #SammyKogan
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Air Canada to restart flights Sunday after Ottawa intervenes in strike
Published Aug 17, 2025 • 2 minute read Travellers rush towards the Air Canada departure gates as flight attendants strike at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Photo by Sammy Kogan / The Canadian Press 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 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. The federal government ordered the airline and its flight attendants back to work Saturday, ending a strike and lockout after less than 12 hours. Air Canada said on Sunday that the CIRB has ordered the terms of the collective agreement between the union and the airline that expired on March 31 be extended until a new agreement is reached. 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. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Air Canada had previously asked Hajdu to order the parties to enter a binding arbitration process. But intervention was something she resisted until Saturday, when she said it became clear the two sides were at an impasse. CUPE maintained it opposed arbitration, instead preferring to solve the impasse through bargaining. The union accused Air Canada of refusing to bargain in good faith due to the likelihood of the government stepping in and imposing arbitration. The union has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. CUPE announced it is calling a national day of action and will have demonstrators outside of the Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary airports this morning. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. More than 700 Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights were cancelled amid the work stoppage, the airline said. Flights by Air Canada Express, operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL, were not affected. The airline says customers whose flights were cancelled and did not travel or accept a refund will be notified and provided with a new itinerary. Columnists Sunshine Girls CFL Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA
Economic Times
3 days 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.
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Air Canada flight attendants on strike, airline's flights cancelled
Published Aug 16, 2025 • 4 minute read Travellers pass Air Canada flight attendants on strike at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Photo by Sammy Kogan / THE CANADIAN PRESS Passengers around the world are feeling the effects after 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. Keelin Pringnitz and her family, from Ottawa, were returning from a European vacation, but were left stranded after flights were cancelled. 'It was an end of my maternity leave kind of trip. We went to the Faroe Islands in Norway, travelling through Air Canada to London,' Pringnitz said from London's Heathrow Airport. She and her family were working to find an alternative route home. The airline said all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights would be cancelled amid the work stoppage. Around 130,000 customers will be affected each day that the strike continues, the company said. 'Air Canada deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers,' it said in a brief statement early Saturday morning. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL, are not affected. The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said picket lines will be active at airports across Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Striking flight attendants also plan to picket at airports in Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg. 'Negotiations between CUPE and Air Canada have ended in impasse,' the union said in a press release early Saturday morning. 'We are heartbroken for our passengers. We do not want to go on strike, and we do not want to be locked out, but it is clear that Air Canada has no incentive to bargain.' Air Canada previously asked Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to intervene by ordering the parties to enter a binding arbitration process — a power granted to the minister through Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Friday, Hajdu urged Air Canada and the union to get back to the negotiating table, suggesting she's not ready to intervene in the dispute. The minister said the union has indicated many of its demands have been met, suggesting there is a path forward to a deal. Hajdu had asked the union to respond to the company's request. CUPE indicated Friday it opposed arbitration, instead maintaining its desire to solve the impasse through bargaining. Although the government hasn't said it will intervene, the union seemed to imply throughout the week that the writing could be on the wall. CUPE accused Air Canada of refusing to bargain in good faith 'due to the likelihood of the federal government using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to interfere in negotiations and have a contract imposed by an outside third-party arbitrator.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The union has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during the course of its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. 'Air Canada still refuses to compensate flight attendants for all hours worked' 'Air Canada still refuses to compensate flight attendants for all hours worked,' said CUPE's press release. 'The union has been firm: all safety-related duties should be paid at full hourly rate. Air Canada does not agree. On wages, Air Canada's last offer will still leave flight attendants living below poverty levels for many years to come.' On Friday, the union released polling by Abacus Data indicating that 59 per cent of Canadians believe the federal government should respect flight attendants' right to take job action, even if it causes travel disruptions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The weighted survey of 1,500 respondents, conducted Thursday and Friday, said 88 per cent of Canadians believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties including boarding, delays and safety checks. Four-in-five respondents said they support raising flight attendant pay to meet the rising cost-of-living. Air Canada has said its latest proposal included a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including a new provision for ground pay 'that is industry-leading in Canada.' The proposal would provide 'significant improvements' to health benefits and pension plans, an increase to paid vacation and measures to address union concerns about rest and work-life balance, the airline said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It will make Air Canada flight attendants the best compensated in Canada,' the company said, adding its cabin crew already earn up to $17 more per hour than their counterparts at Air Canada's largest domestic competitor. FLIGHTS CANCELLED Air Canada cancelled more than 600 flights over the past two days in preparation for a potential work stoppage, affecting 100,000 passengers. It said it will notify customers with imminent travel of additional cancelled flights and their options. The airline has said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to change their travel plans without a fee. It added it strongly advises affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As for Pringnitz and her family, she noted there was an option for travellers to go the United States. but was 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.' For customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada said it will allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel. RECOMMENDED VIDEO
Globe and Mail
18-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
After 18 years of work, Toronto's Port Lands opens to the public
Now known as Biidaasige Park, the project is part of $1.5-billion effort to renew the area's ecological and Indigenous past Alex Bozikovic The Globe and Mail Video by Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail to view this content.
Toronto Sun
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Blue Jays win a classic slugfest over New York Yankees to move into a tie for first in AL East
Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider reacts in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the New York Yankees during first inning at Rogers Centre last night. Photo by Sammy Kogan / The Canadian Press A funny thing happened for fans expecting to see a baseball game pitting two AL East rivals in the third game of a four-game set with first place at stake. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account What fans witnessed was a heavyweight tussle, teams exchanging jabs and body blows. The Jays pounced on the Yankees first by scoring seven runs in the first inning, including five before Toronto recorded its first out. Following three innings, the Jays were leading 8-0. Then came the Yankees response in fifth inning when six runs would cross home plate. The Canada Day fireworks show carried over into Wednesday night, a night that would see Andres Gimenez, thrust into the leadoff spot, record two hits in the first inning, a night that also saw Addison Barger hit a home and and Davis Schneider go yard twice for the Jays, while Giancarlo Stanton went deep for the first time this season. Not to be overlooked was Aaron Judge's game-tying belt. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Above everything else, the night will be remembered for the Jays' 11-9 win, a victory that vaulted Toronto into a tie with the Yankees atop the division. And to think the Jays were without Bo Bichette (knee) for the third time in as many games, while Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander continue their stint on the injured list. All three games of this series have been characterized by drama, theatrics and pulsating entertainment. For the fourth time, Judge was issued an intentional walk, the latest resulting in the bases being loaded with one out in the sixth inning. Sadly, the series wraps up Thursday. The Bronx Bombers, however, will be back in town in three weeks for a three-game series beginning on July 21. As for Wednesday's epic game, a classic in fact, Jose Berrios appeared to be cruising, pitching with an 8-0 win before the roof started to cave in. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Speaking of roofs, the Rogers Centre roof was open until it began to close in the seventh inning at the same time Yariel Rodriguez was issuing a leadoff walk to Jazz Chisholm Jr. Open or closed, the Jays would fend off the Yankees, who looked like they would take the lead in the seventh inning before Toronto ended the frame by turning a double play. Then came some breathing room when Schneider went yard for the second time on the night. Prior the game, Jays manager John Schneider said Davis Schneider would get the start based on his 4-for-8 lifetime success, which included one home run, against Yankees starter Will Warren. The announced crowd of 30,985, a number that pushed the three-game total in excess of 100,000, went from the high of watching the homeside score so quickly and frequently to a state of anxiety only to revert to a feeling of exhilaration. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The night also ushered in the return of Yimi Garcia from the injured list. The right-handed reliever began the eighth inning by inducing a fly ball for an out. Then came a walk to Ben Rice that brought Judge up to the plate. No intentional walk would be issued. Instead, Judge took Garcia deep for a two-run bomb into left field as the teams were deadlocked, 9-9. The blown save by Garcia was his fourth of the season. The critical mistake involved the walk to Rice. Had Rice not reached base on the free pass, there's no way the Jays would have faced Judge, who would have been issued an intentional walk. The events did the set stage for a thrilling ending, which was only fitting. More fitting was a wild pitch would result in the winning run crossing home plate as the Jays held on for a win best described as wild. The teams combined for 28 hits. Garcia would earn the win, while Jeff Hoffman recorded his 20th save of the season. Read More Sports Money News News Relationships MLB
