'This is NOT a Strike, this is a Day of Action': CUPE calls for employees to 'send a powerful message' to Air Canada
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, announced Friday that a "nationwide day of action” will take place August 11 at airports in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
The union says members are seeking recognition of key bargaining issues, including compensation for non-working hours and what it calls “poverty wages” that do not reflect current economic realities.
“This is NOT a Strike, this is a Day of Action,” says the announcement on the CUPE website.
“We are inviting ALL members to stand in solidarity with your bargaining committee, while they bargain, as we continue to push for a fair deal at the table.
The union said that it understands some flight attendants 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.”
Ongoing contract talks at Air Canada
Air Canada has expressed willingness to negotiate, stating in an August 5 announcement 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.
The 21-day cool off period expires at 12:01 am Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, August 16, meaning no job action can take place before that time at the earliest.”
Contract talks have been ongoing since the beginning of this year, following the conclusion of a conciliation process without an agreement.
Flight attendants vote for strike mandate
The demonstrations come as Air Canada and CUPE resume negotiations in an effort to avoid a potential strike. Earlier this week, flight attendants voted 99.7% in favour of a strike mandate, allowing them to walk off the job as early as August 16 with 72 hours’ notice.
As reported by CTV News, the airline has not yet considered flight cancellations or delays, describing the strike mandate as a standard part of the bargaining process. Both sides say they hope to reach a deal and avoid service disruptions; CUPE says it remains optimistic but wants to see how Air Canada responds to proposals for higher wages and the elimination of unpaid work.
“Flight attendant compensation consists of several elements,” Air Canada stated in a detailed description of flight attendant income structures posted online, “including base pay, incentive awards, a defined benefit pension plan, health benefits, bankable sick days, paid vacation, and steeply discounted leisure travel for themselves, families and friends.”
