The crisis is getting worse at Air Canada while on -board agents desert their posts for fear of being blocked abroad, forcing the cancellation of flights at the last minute while the union maintains its categorical Ottawa arbitration refusal.
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“It will be a no for arbitration,” confirmed to Journal Nathalie Garceau, spokesperson for the Canadian Public Service Syndicate (SCFP), less than an hour before the ultimatum set by Ottawa.
The Minister of Employment Patty Hajdu had granted the union until Friday noon to meet the request for enforceable arbitration of Air Canada.
The airline has not given any signs of life since Thursday evening.
“We are at Sheraton Gateway at Toronto airport. We have our room, we have our war roomthen we are waiting for Canada to negotiate, “said the union spokesperson.
Air Canada left the table on Tuesday, the SCFP said on Friday.
The brothel
Passengers ready to embark for Guadeloupe saw their flight canceled on Friday morning at Montreal-Trudeau airport when the on-board agents simply did not show up. They used disease days to avoid being stuck on the other side of the world.
“These are mothers and family fathers and they refuse to pay $ 5,000 to return to their expense,” says Nathalie Garceau.
Air Canada will have canceled 500 flights by the end of the day on Friday. Saturday, at 1 a.m., it will be the full stop.
At Quebec Airport, 30% of flights may be affected, or 1000 daily passengers in uncertainty. It’s much more in Montreal.
Bad faith denounced
The union accuses Air Canada of having “planned” its exit from negotiations to force the intervention of Ottawa. The SCFP reveals in a statement published on Friday that Air Canada applied for arbitration on August 12 “without the union”, the same day when it left the table.
“Air Canada seems to have anticipated government intervention and has chosen to suspend the discussions, unlike its legal obligation to negotiate in good faith,” denounces the SCFP.
The union invokes article 107 of the Canadian Labor Code and asks Minister Hajdu to “firmly reject” the Air Canada arbitration request.
“The integrity of the negotiation process depends on free negotiations without undue interference,” argues the SCFP.
