Air Canada Flight Attendants Reject Tentative Wage Deal, But Avoid Strike
MONTREAL – Air Canada flight attendants overwhelmingly voted against a tentative wage agreement reached with the airline last month, however, a strike has been averted. Approximately 10,000 members of the canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) rejected the offer, with 99.1% voting no in a ratification vote completed Saturday.Despite the rejection,Air Canada and CUPE had pre-arranged a process to resolve wage disputes. The airline stated the wage portion of the contract will now proceed to mediation, and if mediation fails, to arbitration. Both parties have agreed to forego any labor disruption – meaning no strike or lockout – and flights will continue to operate normally.
Most terms of the tentative agreement will still form part of a new collective agreement, with the exception of wages. The rejection follows a recent strike in August that disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers, impacting roughly 130,000 travelers daily at the height of the summer travel season.Air Canada resumed operations on august 19 after reaching a previous agreement to end that labor action.
