TORONTO (AP) — Air Canada has halted all operations and scrambled travelers from around the world during the summer travel season as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants took a strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal.
Hugh Priot, a spokesman for the Canadian Civil Service Union, confirmed that the strike had begun after the deal was not reached, and said the airline would halt the operation soon after.
The fierce contract battle between Canada’s largest airline and the union representing 10,000 flight attendants escalated Friday to deny the airline’s demands to enter into government-controlled arbitration and eliminate the right to allow third-party mediators to determine the terms of the new contract.
The flight attendant quits his job
The flight attendants finished work on a Saturday around 1am. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants from the airport.
Federal Employment Minister Patti Hajidu met both the airline and the Union on Friday night, urging them to work harder to get a “once once” contract.
“It is unacceptable that little progress has been made in this way. Canadians rely on both parties to suggest their best efforts,” Hajidu said in a statement posted on social media.
Union spokesman Pouliot previously said the union had met with representatives from Hajdu and Air Canada on Friday evening.
“Despite the fact that Canada has not countered the last two offers since Tuesday, we have worked with mediators to relay their willingness to continue negotiations,” he said in an email. “We’re here to negotiate a deal, not to go on a strike.”
Travelers are in Limbo
A complete shutdown affects Approximately 130,000 people per dayand about 25,000 Canadians may be stuck abroad a day. Air Canada operates approximately 700 flights per day.
Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend, were saving him from Christmas for a European holiday. Now their $8,000 trip with non-refundable accommodation is waiting to hear from Air Canada about the fate of a Saturday night flight to Nice, France.
It is still unclear how many airlines are grounded, but Air Canada’s chief operating officer Mark Nasr said it will take up to a week to fully resume operations once the interim transaction is reached.
According to Air Canada, passengers affected by the trip are eligible to request a full refund on the airline’s website or on the mobile app.
The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines where possible. However, he warned that flights with other airlines are already “due to the peak of summer travel,” and therefore cannot guarantee immediate rebooking.
Laroche said he considered booking a new flight with another carrier, but most of them were almost full and would cost more than twice the $3,000 he paid for the original ticket.
“At this point, it’s just a waiting game,” he said.
Laroche initially was upset by the union’s decision to take a strike, but after reading about key issues at the heart of contract negotiations, including wage issues, he said there was a change in his mind.
“They pay rarely live,” Laroche said.
The side says they are far away on pay
The Air Canada and Canadian Civil Service Coalition have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a temporary deal.
Both sides say they are far away on wage issues, and unpaid workers that flight attendants do when the plane is not in the air.
The airline’s latest offer includes a 38% increase in total compensation, including four-year benefits and pensions, which he said “will have made flight attendants the best compensation in Canada.”
However, the union pushed back saying that the 8% salary increases proposed in the first year were not progressing well due to inflation. ___
Associated Press airline writer Rio Yamat was reported from Las Vegas.
