Air Canada will start to cancel some of its flights on Thursday, while its 10,000 on -board agents intend to trigger a strike on Saturday if no agreement is found by then with their employer.
The Air Canada Component of the Canadian Public Service Syndicate formally transmitted to the employer its strike notice of 72 hours early on Wednesday.
“This decision was not taken lightly, but it is necessary. We are ready, strong and we will not back down, ”decided the union in a press release.
The strike will therefore start at 0:58 am on Saturday if the games do not get along by then. Air Canada replied by transmitting to the union a lockout opinion, which would start at 1:30 am on Saturday.
However, the impacts on travelers will be felt before the start of the strike because Air Canada will start the gradual stop of most of its activities on Thursday.
“The first flights will be canceled on August 14, others on August 15, and there will be a complete cessation of Air Canada and Red Air Canada flights on August 16,” said the airline on Wednesday morning.
Air Canada explains that a sudden or not managed work stoppage causes “much more important than planned flight suspension”.
“A gradual reduction in activities allows Air Canada to inform its customers in advance, to reduce the risk that they remain blocked and to give them a clearer portrait of the situation,” said the carrier.
Customers whose flights are canceled will be entitled to a refund.
Some passengers could be offered a place on a flight from another company, but it will not be possible for everyone, “since the other carriers are already very busy due to the summer peak period,” warned Air Canada.
Air Canada and Air Canada Red transport around 130,000 customers per day, depending on the company. Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and Pal Airlines will continue to be insured normally.
Wages and unpaid work
The union maintains that certain progress has been made since the start of the negotiations, but it accuses Air Canada of refusing to tackle its “fundamental issues”.
Tuesday, Air Canada said they were deadlocked with the union, the two parties remaining very distant on certain elements.
The points in dispute relate in particular to the salary of on -board agents and unpaid work when the planes are not in flight.
The union rejected the airline’s proposal to start an enforceable arbitration process, saying that it preferred to negotiate an agreement on which its members could then vote.
Air Canada announced on Monday that its last offer included a total salary increase of 38 % over four years.
The company also noted that this proposal tackled the questions of wages on the ground, the improvement of pension plans and benefits, the increase in the rest periods of the crew and other improvements to the work-life-life reconciliation.
