Air Canada ground all operations as its flight attendants launched a strike as of early Saturday morning. This aggravation is severely impacting millions of travelers worldwide during the height of the summer travel season. At approximately 1 a.m. EDT, nearly 10,000 flight attendants engaged in an illegal job action. This stranded thousands of passengers and forced them to scramble for other accommodations. This full scale shutdown leaves 130,000 daily passengers in the lurch, and an estimated 25,000 Canadians will be left stranded abroad because of it.
The strike was called after negotiations between Air Canada and the International Association of Flight Attendants Union—representing cabin crew for Air Canada—collapsed. Air Canada’s latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, which the airline stated “would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.” The union voted down the proposal. They claimed that the proposed 8% increase in the first year didn’t come close to addressing inflation at today’s levels.
In a statement released earlier this week, union spokesman Hugh Pouliot said the union was disappointed by the lack of movement in negotiations.
“We’re here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike.” – Hugh Pouliot
The situation worsened still when, after the union rejected Air Canada’s proposal to agree to government-directed arbitration, Air Canada pre-emptively terminated its offer of arbitration. Prior to the strike, union leaders were deeply involved in negotiations with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Air Canada executives. Their intent was to achieve consensus.
“Every phase will require both sides to work hard to find mutually acceptable solutions.
“It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts.” – Patty Hajdu
In retaliation for the strike, Air Canada responded. They committed to ensuring the same kind of travel through other Canadian and foreign airlines where viable. Plus, as they noted, flights on other carriers are already full due to the summer travel rush. This creates a perfect storm making it difficult for millions of travelers to find open seats.
The timing on the strike for travelers could not be worse. July and August typically are the busiest months ever for air travel in Canada. Falling during peak vacation months for many families, this sudden action has resulted in thousands of travelers left scrambling on their summer travel plans.
The ripple effects of the strike go far beyond immediate disruption to travelers. Millions of Canadians had relied on Air Canada to meet their travel needs this busy summer season. The union’s decision to strike reflects deep frustrations over compensation and working conditions, issues that have been festering for some time.
