Air Canada flight attendants ‘mobilizing’ at major airports as strike threat grows

More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants could go on strike Aug. 16 if an agreement isn't reached, protests will be held Monday in support of the union.

More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants could go on strike as early as Saturday if a new agreement isn’t reached between their union and Air Canada by Friday, Aug. 15 — while the airline’s flight attendants are also ‘mobilizing’ simultaneously at airports in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary on Monday.

“You’ll see flight attendants in their uniforms, standing in silence in support of their union while they negotiate with our employer,” said Shanyn Elliott, Mobilization and Engagement Committee co-chair with the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), in an interview with CTV News.

Union members plan to negotiate with Air Canada at the bargaining table this week. If the two sides aren’t able to reach a new tentative agreement, workers could walk off the job as early as 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 16.

Key issues are wages, unpaid work

Elliott says both sides are still unable to find common ground on wages and unpaid hours, especially since flight attendants are required to do many duties for which they are not paid.

“Any of our federally regulated safety checks — we are not compensated for,” said Elliott. “Our boarding, deplaning, if there’s a medical emergency on the ground and we’re providing vital first aid, we’re not compensated for that.”

She says these responsibilities fall outside paid working hours, something the union argues needs to change.

“As well as, everybody gets frustrated with delays, we’re right there with you,” Elliott said. “Passengers will actually be compensated for those delays, while we’re on duty, in uniform, at work -- and we’re not compensated at all.”

When it comes to wages, Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Air Canada offered a 32.5 per cent wage increase for flight attendants in contract talks.

“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, adding it would not comment on specific numbers during the bargaining process.

“Air Canada remains at the table and is focused on achieving a deal with CUPE that recognizes the contributions of its flight attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company,” said vice-president of communications Christophe Hennebelle, in an email to CTV News.

But the union says it has received no such offer.

“Air Canada has never presented the offer reported by Bloomberg,” said Hugh Pouliot, spokesperson for CUPE, in an email to CTV News.

The potential strike comes after 99.7 per cent of members of the Air Canada component of CUPE voted in favour of a strike mandate last Tuesday. The union must provide 72 hours’ notice of strike action, which would need to be issued on Wednesday if they plan on walking off the job on Saturday.

‘Guess what? It’s too late’

It might be too late for passengers to buy travel insurance in response to cancelled flights, according to Martin Firestone, president of Travel Secure Inc. travel insurance brokerage — but he recommends buying a refundable ticket with another airline as a backup plan.

“The ship has sailed for travel insurance, trip cancellation and interruption plans. It is now a known cause, and I’m getting lots of calls from people who want to buy it now — but guess what? It’s too late,” said Firestone in an interview with CTV News.

“The ones who were prudent enough to buy it when they booked their trip... they will now be able to benefit if it should happen.”

Firestone says there is still one option left for passengers looking to protect their plans.

“What’s left? It’s the opportunity to look for refundable tickets from a competitor,” he said. “In case the strike does not happen, they will then of course be able to get their money back — and if it does happen, they were smart, they did it.”

Firestone added the cost of a refundable ticket usually comes at a higher price, but it’s a good backup plan if you have a lot of other expenses on the line.

“They could be missing not just the airfare to be reimbursed — they’ve got hotels, they already have so many other things that could be non-refundable.”