Flight attendants employed by Air Canada involved in strike action on Sunday 17 August refused a government-backed labour board’s mandate to return to work, resulting in the airline having to delay resuming its operations and leaving its passengers frustrated and confused. The Canadian Union of Public Employees is standing by the flight attendants.
Air Canada Strikes Cause Headaches for Passengers
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants said that its representees would remain on strike, claiming that the order for the flight attendants to return to work was “unconstitutional” and “designed to protect the airline’s profit”. The Union invited Canada’s largest airline to return to negotiations for a fair deal. In response, the airline has delayed plans to restart operations until the morning of Monday 18 August.
The refusal to obey the order has left many passengers at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), the Canadian airline’s hub, feeling stuck and unsure of their next steps. Many passengers, including those who were travelling out of Canada to return to their home countries, expressed a lack of certainty and were kept in suspense by the lack of communication from the airline regarding tentative arrangements for accomodation and alternative transport. In anticipation of the strikes, which began on Saturday morning, Air Canada cancelled the majority of its 700 daily flights, leaving more than 100,000 passengers to find another way to their destinations.
The Union’s most critical demand has been for compensation for time spent on the ground and when helping passengers board, as flight attendants are usually only paid during the period when the aircraft is moving or in the air.
Canadian Union Refuses to Back Down
In just hours after strike action was declared, the Canada Industrial Relations Board issued binding arbitration in an attempt to relieve pressure on the airline and resolve the situation. The Canada Labour Code allows the government to ask the CIRB to issue such orders in the interest of “protecting the economy”.
Rafael Gomez, a professor of Employment Relations at the University of Toronto explains: “The federal government has entrusted a board to administer these rules in the Canadian Labor Code, and if you defy them, you are transgressing and essentially violating the law”.
Refusal of a back-to-work order is incredibly uncommon. Previous refusals of union leaders to return to work when ordered have resuled in fines and even jail time for the organisers of the group refusing the order.
Have your travels been affected by the Air Canada strikes? Share your experiences in the comments below.
