Workers at Canadian flagship airlines go against an order to return to work as they hold their first strike in 40 years.
Air Canada flight attendants say they will continue on strike despite the government-sponsored Labor Commission’s order to return to work by 2pm (18:00 GMT).
The Canadian Civil Service Coalition said in a statement Sunday that its members remained on strike and returned to the table to “negotiate fair deals.”
Canada’s largest airline said it will resume flights Monday evening. The strike had already affected around 130,000 travelers worldwide per day during the peak summer travel season.
The Canadian government moved on Saturday to end a strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants from the country’s largest airline by asking the Canadian Labor and Management Relations Board (CIRB) to order binding arbitration.
Canadian Labour Law empowers the government to ask the CIRB to impose binding arbitration to protect the economy. The CIRB issued an order that Air Canada had requested, and the union’s flight attendants opposed it.
It is rare for unions to ignore the order of the CIRB. It was not immediately clear what options the government had if the union continued its strike.
Air Canada flight attendants left their jobs on Saturday for the first time since 1985 after months of negotiations over a new contract.
Air Canada flight attendant and regional union president Natasha Steer told Reuters that other unions joined flight attendant Pickett Line in solidarity in Toronto on Sunday.
“They are supporting us here today because they see our rights erode,” Stee said.
The most controversial issue is the union’s request for compensation for time spent on the ground while assisting passengers with flights and when assisting them with boarding. Attendants are mostly paid only if the plane is running.
Workers are also unhappy with Air Canada’s proposed wage increases and other compensation terms, but they believe this is insufficient to address inflation or fit into the federal minimum wage.
