Air Canada to start cancelling flights Thursday forward of doable strike by its flight attendants

Air Canada stated it is going to begin cancelling flights on Thursday forward of a doable strike by its flight attendants, which the airline stated will enable for an orderly shutdown of Canada’s largest airline. 

The airline stated Wednesday the primary flights will likely be cancelled Thursday, with extra on Friday and an entire cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge by the weekend.

The union representing round 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike discover Wednesday. If a deal is not reached or the federal government would not intervene, the flight attendants will start hanging Saturday, August. 16. 

In response to the strike discover, the airline issued a lockout discover.

Air Canada stated clients whose flights are cancelled will likely be notified and they are going to be eligible for a full refund. The corporate additionally stated it has made preparations with different Canadian and international carriers to supply clients with various journey choices to the extent doable.

“We remorse the influence a disruption could have on our clients, our stakeholders and the communities we serve,” Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau stated in a press release.

On Tuesday, Air Canada stated it had reached an deadlock with the union as the 2 sides remained far aside in contract talks. The union has stated its predominant sticking factors revolve round what it calls flight attendants’ “poverty wages” and unpaid labor when planes aren’t within the air, whereas Air Canada stated it had provided a 38% improve in whole pay over 4 years, in addition to different advantages.

“Regardless of our greatest efforts, Air Canada refused to handle our core points,” the union stated in a bargaining replace posted on-line.

The union rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration course of, saying it prefers to barter a deal that its members can then vote on.