Here’s what you need to know as Air Canada flight attendants rally on ’day of action’

By Alexandra Mae Jones, CBC News, RCI

Air Canada flight attendants demonstrate at Vancouver International Airport in support of a national action to protest working conditions in Richmond, B.C, on Monday. Photo: CBC / Ben Nelms

More than 10,000 flight attendants could walk off job as early as Saturday

Air Canada flight attendants are gathering for demonstrations at four major airports on Monday after voting overwhelmingly to approve a strike mandate last week.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says the national day of action is not a strike, but an opportunity to show support for the bargaining committee “as we continue to push for a fair deal at the table.”

The demonstrations are taking place at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport and Calgary International Airport.

In Vancouver, flight attendants lined up outside the airport holding signs that said: Poverty wages = UnCanadian,Unpaid work and won’t fly and UnfAir Canada.

Passengers walk into Vancouver International Airport on Monday. Photo: CBC / Ben Nelms

Wesley Lesoky, president of CUPE’s Air Canada component, told CBC News Network that their top priority is to raise their wages and address the amount of unpaid work they’re required to do.

Hundreds of employees could be seen gathering outside the Toronto airport Monday morning, where they, too, eventually lined up holding signs.

Without the details, I was a little unsure what to expect when I got here this morning, traveller Laura MacEachern said on her way to catch her flight at Pearson airport.

It’s a little unnerving, especially when travelling for business, to know whether or not I have a flight to go on. Business still happens, work still happens, so it’s a bit of a challenge.

Air Canada employees gather outside Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Monday. Photo: Radio-Canada / Marion Bérubé

Members of the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate on Tuesday.

But a strike isn’t set in stone yet, and both parties were back at the bargaining table starting last Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

When could workers go on strike?

If an agreement isn’t reached, the union told CBC News on Friday the earliest its workers could walk off the job is 12:01 ET on Aug. 16. CUPE must provide 72 hours’ notice of strike action and, in an emailed statement, said this means the earliest it could issue that notice is Aug. 13.

However, three days’ notice of a strike or lockout could be issued by either side, with job action possible as of Aug.

 16.

According to the union, it will be back at the bargaining table from Friday until Aug. 15.

The Air Canada component of CUPE represents more than 10,000 flight attendants at the airline and its leisure service, Air Canada Rouge. Air Canada Express flights, which are operated by Jazz and PAL, will not be affected.

What’s at stake in the negotiations?

The union and Air Canada are negotiating a new contract after the previous 10-year contract expired in March. CUPE says that wages, work rules and unpaid hours are the big issues in contention.

According to CUPE, many duties performed by flight attendants prior to boarding and after deplaning, including performing required safety checks and assisting passengers, go unpaid under the current pay structure.

The union announced that members will be mobilizing at airports in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary on Monday to raise awareness of the essential role of flight attendants, and that representatives will be on hand to answer questions.

How are negotiations going?

Bloomberg reported last week that Air Canada had offered an overall wage increase of more than 30 per cent over four years.

Air Canada told CBC News that it was unable to comment on the specifics during the bargaining process.

We can confirm, however, that we have made a proposal to the union that would make our flight attendants the best paid in Canada — including addressing the issue of ground pay — in recognition of their contributions to the success of our airline, the airline said in a statement.

When asked about a potential offer, CUPE told CBC News on Thursday that “Air Canada has never presented this offer to the union.

If this indeed is what the company plans to present when we resume negotiations on Friday, we look forward to discussing it then.

Should you cancel your Air Canada flight?

The airline has previously said that it believes it’s too early for travellers to consider disrupting their plans.

At this point, our focus is on achieving a new, negotiated agreement with CUPE, so it is premature to speculate or discuss possible contingencies, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick told The Canadian Press.

CUPE has stated that a strike is an option, but not the goal.

One expert told CBC News that those whose flights fall on a day that might be affected by a possible strike shouldn’t cancel their flights.

There’s compensation that’s going to be due to you if they [Air Canada] cancel the flights rather than if you cancel it, John Gradek, a lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at McGill University, told CBC News.

He recommended that those who absolutely need to make it to their destination on a specific day consider buying a refundable ticket from another airline so that they can get their money back if there’s no strike and proceed with their original ticket.

With files from The Canadian Press, Bloomberg and Anis Heydari

This article is republished from RCI.