Ottawa airport flyers prepare for Air Canada flight attendants’ strike

Air Canada says it will start cancelling flights on Thursday ahead of a possible strike by thousands of flight attendants. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

Many Air Canada passengers flying out of the Ottawa Airport were uncertain if and when they would be returning back to the nation’s capital.

“Suppose to be on the 18th of August. But that’s up in the air now with the cancellation, so I may have to be rebooked,” said Dolores Schmeichel, who was flying to Saskatoon via Air Canada Wednesday.

The union representing 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice Wednesday morning after bargaining talks broke off with the airline. In response, Air Canada issued a lockout notice to its employees.

It led to the airline having to gradually start cancelling flights as of Thursday, before a country-wide ground Saturday ahead of the work stoppage.

“One hundred per cent in favor of them, 100 per cent support them,” Schmeichel said.

“I don’t think most of the public knew – I was aware – that they weren’t getting paid for a lot of their services, but I don’t think the general public realized how bad it was.”

The union is asking for improved wages for flight attendants as well as an end to unpaid work, such as boarding and deplaning.

“I’m dismayed that the employer would put us in this position now, and the traveling public in this position now. They have full control of their narrative,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employee’s (CUPE) airline division.

“I’m not overly optimistic (of reaching a deal soon), but I am hopeful that they will see, ‘hey, we have to come back to the table’.”

In a statement, Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, executive vice-president, chief human resources officer and public affairs at Air Canada said, “Air Canada is now looking at all remaining options, including a request for government-directed arbitration, to prevent a disruption or at least remove this intolerable uncertainty for our customers.”

Air Canada said customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and will be eligible for a full refund.

The company also said it has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers alternative travel options “to the extent possible.” That includes passengers whose itineraries change mid-journey.

Flying on Air Canada to Greece out of Ottawa, travellers Clint and Jenny Faught were nervous about how their return trip would unfold in 10 days time.

“Extremely, I want to get back eventually,” Clint Faught said Wednesday.

“We’re hoping that they’ll book us on another return flight with some of their partners,” added Jenny Faught. “If not, we’re prepared to try to figure it out on our own.”

“It’s not going to happen,” says Martin Firestone, president of Travel Secure Inc.

“If you believe there’s hundreds of thousands of people being affected, you are not going to find them tickets elsewhere on competitive airlines that Air Canada has an agreement with. It’s just not going to happen.”

Despite the impact the strike may have, many travellers are supportive of the flight attendants’ job action.

“Even though I’m going to be inconvenienced, I still support them,” says Schmeichel.

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