Air Canada | A strike described as “illegal”, but which continues

“If people like me have to go to prison, whether it is so.” Despite a return to work prescription. Similarly, the president of the union, who represents 10,000 Air Canada on Monday, refused to end the strike that disrupts the thousands of travelers. However, a glimmer of hope was manifested in the evening with a resumption of talks.

Updated yesterday at 9:41 p.m.

This more recent chapter of a fertile day in twists. Therefore, turns occurred after an update of the Air Canada Component COMPOSE COMPONATION OF THE CANADIAN Public Service Syndicate (SCFP), which confirmed the timid rapprochement.

“The company has communicated with the president. Consequently, the component and we have progressed in our continuous efforts to reach a fair agreement,” emphasizes the message. Nevertheless, The union is currently meeting with Air Canada, in Toronto. For example, For the moment, the strike is still underway and the talks are just beginning. Nevertheless, »»

According to our information. Furthermore, the two parties discuss a protocol which would allow both a return to work and the continuation of the negotiations.

Nothing suggested such an outcome to listen to the statements that had issued union officials. For example, the largest air carrier during the day. However, In a press briefing at Pearson airport in Toronto. Therefore, in the middle of the day, the national president of the SCFP, Mark Hancock, had warned that Air Canada planes were not about to take air canada | strike described off unless a negotiated agreement with the employer.

“If people like me have to go to prison, so be it,” he said. Similarly, If this means that our union will be condemned [à payer] a fine, whether. Consequently, »»

These are two scenarios that could become reality since the SCFP decided to challenge the order made on Monday by the Canadian Council for Industrial Relations (CCRI). For example, which describes the strike as air canada | strike described “illegal” while demanding a return to work.

How ? Similarly, The Federal Administrative Court. Therefore, Air Canada may request the approval of the ordinance from the Federal Court, explains the law professor at the University of Ottawa Gilles Levasseur.

“Once approved. Furthermore, the order becomes an enforceable judgment: seizures, fines or other civil appeals can be undertaken against the union as well as the employees,” added the specialist.

In his order, the CCRI says he does not intend to take this path. When writing these lines, Air Canada had not responded to a request for The press on this question.

In terms of sanctions. we are talking about maximum fines of $ 1,000 per day of an offense for union members and $ 100,000 for the union. Union leaders can air canada | strike described even be exposed to imprisonment sentences.

Despite everything. the workers remain firmly camped on their positions, said Julie Potvin, representative of Montreal ons at the SCFP, in an interview with the press. It was present Monday alongside dozens of people picking up near the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport.

“We will not go back to work until our union will have told us to go back to work,” she said. “We know that the National SCFP is there for us. And our employees are much more afraid of staying in the working conditions they have air canada | strike described currently, than that. »»

In the carrier carrier, nothing suggested a revival of talks. If he said he was “amazed” with the event turn. the president and chief executive officer, Michael Rousseau, did not try to put the table on a rapprochement.

“We are always amazed to see that the SCFP does not openly respect a prescription,” he told the Reuters agency.

The latter also spoke with the American agency Bloomberg. It had not been possible to The press to meet with Mr. Rousseau.

A little later in the day. the chief of Air Canada operations, Mark Nasr, added a layer, saying that the company was ready to work on an unprecedented agreement in the industry, but that it could not do it as long as the planes remain nailed to the ground.

Air canada | strike described

Domino effect

What prompted the union party to ignore the CCRI order? Everything indicates that it is the way in which the federal government has interfered in this labor conflict.

Take a step back to go there by step.

In the absence of an agreement with the largest air carrier in the country on the terms of a new collective agreement after more than nine months of negotiations. on -board agents trigger the strike on Saturday.

air canada | strike described

Ottawa intervenes immediately by evoking the repercussions for travelers.

Federal Minister of Employment. Patty Hajdu, invoked article 107 of the Canadian Labor Code to ask the CCRI to impose enforceable arbitration – a process where working conditions are imposed by a third party, such as an arbitrator. This approach is challenged before the courts. but it is not tomorrow the day before that the question will be decided.

For about a year. the federal government has turned to this provision of the Canadian Labor Code to end strikes at the National Railway Company of Canada and the Pacific Canadian Kansas City Southern as well as ports like that of Montreal.

For the union movement. Ottawa changes the rules of the game and the confrontation at Air Canada seems to have the appearance of a drop that makes the vase overflow.

“Real negotiations cannot take place if one of the parties [l’employeur] account on the government to withdraw rights to the other party [le syndicat]and this is the case here. ”argued the national president of the SCFP.

Marc Boudreau, from Marceau & Boudreau, specializing in labor law, sees things from the same eye.

“The government has decided to use article 107 as never since last fall,” said the lawyer. He is being instrumentalized by employers. There, we tell him “it’s going to do” “.

The on -board agents. whose 2015 employment contract expired on March 31, claimed the end of “unpaid” work, the tasks before and after the flights, such as boarding and landing. Wages are also at the heart of the dispute.

Air Canada retorts that his proposal would make her “better paid on -board agents in Canada”. that she “asks any concession […] in return ”.

Air canada | strike described

Always uncertainty

For travelers waiting to know what happens from their flight. they will have to continue to take their pain in patience. The air carrier’s restart plan was once air canada | strike described again postponed, this time on Tuesday.

Read Air Canada strike: “We don’t know what to do”

Since August 12. Air Canada has canceled nearly 2,600 international and domestic flights, according to the Cirium airline firm. According to the carrier, this led to “the cancellation of the flights of 500,000 customers”.

According to analyst Cameron Doerksen, of the National Bank Financial, this Private Air Canada labor conflict with daily income of around 60 million. This interruption of activities has also air canada | strike described forced the company to put its financial forecasts in the third quarter. the current financial year on the ice.

On the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday, the title of the airline abandoned 3 %, or 59 cents, to close at $ 19.18.

With the Canadian press

Ottawa Survey unpaid work in the airline

The Minister of Employment, Patty Hajdu, told the Canadian press that the federal government launched an investigation into unpaid work allegations in the airline sector, while the work stoppage at Air Canada continues. One of the main complaints of the union representing Air Canada on -board agents is that workers are not. remunerated for the tasks performed before takeoff.

M^me Hajdu declared in an interview air canada | strike described that she found these allegations deeply disturbing and that the investigation carried out by his ministry would fill all gap of this type, if necessary. The Minister’s announcement occurs two days after she asked the Canadian Council for Industrial Relations (CCI) to impose enforceable. arbitration on the parties. M^me Hajdu said that the Federal Liberal Government does not plan to convene Parliament earlier than expected to impose. a return to work law.

Canadian press

Learn more

• 4,5 millions

  Total money bonuses paid to the five main leaders of Air Canada for the financial year 2024

  Air Canada

  70 %

  Proportion of approximately 10,000 Air Canada on -board agents are women

  SCFP