Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants will hold a “day of action” at airports across the country next week to highlight “ongoing issues” in its dispute with the airline, their union said Friday as it re-entered what it called “intense” negotiations to avoid a strike that could begin in days.
The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said members will simultaneously gather Monday at the Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary international airports “to raise awareness among Canadians about ongoing issues related to their working conditions.”
“We’re heading into an intense weekend of bargaining, with strong support from our members,” union president Wesley Lesosky said in a statement. The standard simply can’t be maintained, because it’s no longer acceptable.”
A notice posted to union members underscored Monday’s action is “NOT a strike,” but encouraged all members to show up in uniform and “stand in solidarity” with negotiators.
“We understand that you may have wanted to bid this day off in advance, (but) bargaining is a fluid and evolving process, and this action is in direct response to where things stand at the table,” the notice reads.
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The two sides returned to the bargaining table Friday after its members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.
The vote, which wrapped up on Tuesday, means flight attendants will be in legal position to strike as soon as Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m., with at least 72 hours’ notice required before a strike can begin.
The airline says it is not yet considering flight cancellations or postponements as it is focused on reaching a deal before then, while cautioning that a strike mandate vote is “a normal step in the negotiation process.”
Air Canada said Tuesday that it “firmly believes that there is more than enough time to reach such an agreement and avoid disrupting the plans of hundreds of thousands of travellers.”
CUPE says it is also optimistic it can avoid a work stoppage, but it first wants to see how Air Canada responds to its proposals for higher wages and the elimination of unpaid labour.
The two sides have been in contract talks since the start of the year, with the strike mandate vote coming after the airline and union concluded a conciliation process without reaching a deal.
The union has accused Air Canada of paying “poverty wages” to some members and not compensating at all for services provided outside regular working hours, which the airline has denied.
—With files from the Canadian Press
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