A silent event is underway at the start of the Montreal-Trudeau airport by Air Canada employees since 1 p.m. on Monday.
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These gatherings of on -board agents take place simultaneously at four airports in the country, that is those of Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
At the start of the silent mobilization, at 1 p.m., on-board agents were gathered at the start of the Montreal-Trudeau airport.
More than 10,000 are claiming better working conditions. In Montreal, TVA Nouvelles reported the presence of around 400 employees mobilized on site.
“We are confident that we are going to have an agreement in principle before any action,” said Julie Potvin, Vice-President of the Local 4091 section of the Air Canada Montreal Agents. “Our union team is on site negotiations today. They were at the table the whole weekend so we hope to avoid the strike. ”
A strike could be triggered as early as midnight on August 16, next Saturday.
“It is not necessarily the 16 that it could happen. Obviously, everything will take shape at the negotiating table, ”said Julie Potvin, an interview with LCN.
If there is a strike, thefts will be canceled, as flights cannot take off without on -board agents. This is a law, planes must have agents to operate, says Ms. Potvin.
Requests from on -board agents
Until now, the employer would have offered a salary increase of 32.5 % over 5 years, according to them. The union replies that he has never received such an offer.
“Our union team know what they want, so if this information has been discussed and it has not been reported, it is that the agreement in principle does not have something that we want to consider,” added the union vice-president.
On -board agents claim better working conditions, following the end of their last 10 -year employment contract, including a salary increase.
They also request recognition of the work carried out before the departures and the discharge of the barrier, with regard to checks, safety procedures, boarding passengers and luggage management.
The goal is not to interrupt the service and not work, advanced Julie Potvin.
“Let us understand each other, we do not want to harm passengers, we do not want to harm our agents … We hope to have an agreement in principle which will be fair, equitable, which will recognize the work then the operational value that we bring.”
Recall that on August 5, the union announced that these 10,000 members of the staff of on -board agents voted at 99.7 % in favor of the strike.