As recently as this week, Air Canada had to announce flight cancellations from Thursday on. The airline is bracing for a possible work stoppage from its 9,000 flight attendants, who are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The decision prioritizes minimizing disruption as operations wind down. This announcement comes as the region prepares for an upcoming strike that would effectively cripple travel services in the area.
When the airline cuts capacity during the pandemic, contingency planning expands to collaboration with Toronto Pearson International Airport to establish an aircraft parking strategy. Toronto Pearson is hiring four times as many staff this year—854 by mid-April—to maintain calm operations during the expected chaos. Vancouver International Airport prepares for potential strike. Vancouver International Airport is preparing for a possible strike. In an effort to assist impacted passengers, both airports are bringing in additional terminal staff.
If negotiations between Air Canada and CUPE do not yield an agreement, a full disruption of services could commence at 9:58 p.m. PT on Friday. Under this situation, Air Canada assumes it would need at least a week to get back to full operational service. The airline is still optimistic that a last-minute agreement can be reached to prevent the work stoppage.
CUPE has sounded alarm bells over the stalled negotiations, accusing Air Canada of having lost the will to negotiate. The union emphasizes the importance of fair compensation, noting that “a worker earning federal minimum wage at $17.75 per hour would earn $2,840.00 per month pre-taxes.” This sheds light on broader conversations around pay and working conditions that have been key topics of the negotiations.
As a result of these new developments, Toronto Pearson Airport posted a very misleading sign saying ‘Labour Disruption.’ This was less than a month after Air Canada themselves announced big news. It is a more fluid situation, and all parties including the airline and Airport Authority have recognized that fact, and are making every effort to reduce passenger impact.
