2 days ago
Air Canada flight attendants holding ‘Day of Action' at Vancouver airport
Unionized Air Canada flight attendants are participating in a 'Nationwide Day of Action' at the Vancouver airport and several others Monday, while bargaining continues on a new collective agreement.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees said uniformed flight attendants are staging silent demonstrations at airports in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary in support of the bargaining team, but that it is not a strike.
Members did vote 99.7 per cent in favour of strike action last week, which would allow them to walk off the job as soon as Aug. 16 with at least 72 hours' notice.
Spokesperson Shanyn Elliot told CTV News wages and unpaid work remain sticking points for the union.
'A lot of time that we spend at work, we're actually currently not paid for,' Elliott said Monday.
That includes time spent during federally regulated safety checks, she said.
'Boarding, deplaning, if there's a medical emergency on the ground and we're providing vital first aid, we're not compensated for that,' Elliott added.
The two sides have been in contract talks since the beginning of the year and the strike mandate comes after the airline and union concluded a conciliation process without reaching a deal.
In a statement following last week's strike vote, Air Canada said it 'remains committed to the bargaining process' and is 'determined to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement.'
'Air Canada firmly believes that there is more than enough time to reach such an agreement and avoid disrupting the plans of hundreds of thousands of travellers,' the company said.
The negotiations concern flight attendants working for Air Canada's main operations, as well as for Air Canada Rouge.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kraig Krause and The Canadian Press
