Dealing a huge blow to Air Canada’s labour relations, the airline’s flight attendants have rejected a second tentative deal, setting in motion a possible strike at midnight Thursday.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees issued the strike notice Sunday evening after flight attendants voted 65 per cent to reject the latest deal, negotiated as the federal Conservatives threatened back-to-work legislation.
Under federal law, the union must serve notice of a possible strike within 24 hours of rejecting a tentative agreement. In addition, 72 hours’ notice must be given before any job action, putting the deadline at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.
In a news release, CUPE’s Air Canada component president Jeff Taylor said the results show just how frustrated the airline’s 6,800 flight attendants are.
“We urge the federal government, in the strongest possible terms, to respect our right to collective bargaining and not intervene unilaterally in this dispute,” said Taylor.
The four-year agreement called for a wage increase of 2 per cent in the first three years and 3 per cent in the final year. It also called for increased pension payments from employees, who say it’s their turn to benefit after making significant concessions during the lean years when the airline was on the brink of bankruptcy.
In a statement, Air Canada’s executive vice-president and chief operating officer Duncan Dee expressed disappointment.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that two tentative agreements negotiated in good faith with and unanimously recommended by the democratically elected representatives of our flight attendants have failed to be ratified,” Dee said.
However, in recognition of the uncertainty of this situation, passengers holding tickets for travel within the next six days, on a rolling window basis, can rebook without charge for dates until Dec. 15, subject to seat availability.
It’s the same policy the airline adopted in September as the clock ticked toward a strike.
At that time, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt summoned union and company officials to Ottawa, warning them that she was readying legislation to order flight attendants back to work if they walked off the job.
She cited the fragile economy as well as fears that 65,000 people could be stranded in various destinations.
The airline has been hit with repeated labour woes this year. Its customer service agents went on strike in June, but returned after three days because Raitt also threatened back-to-work legislation.
The pilots also overwhelmingly rejected a tentative deal negotiated by their union in the spring, and so far talks have yet to resume in those negotiations, in part because the rank-and-file members ousted several top union officials.
Raitt said in a statement she was “disappointed” with Sunday’s result, mentioning the two tentative agreements that were rejected after the bargaining committee recommended them.
“It is clear there is a breakdown in the process contemplated in the Canada Labour Code,” she said. “The government will be considering its options, however we will be clear that a work stoppage is unacceptable in this time of fragile economy.”
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
The Canadian Union of Public Employees issued the strike notice Sunday evening after flight attendants voted 65 per cent to reject the latest deal, negotiated as the federal Conservatives threatened back-to-work legislation.
Under federal law, the union must serve notice of a possible strike within 24 hours of rejecting a tentative agreement. In addition, 72 hours’ notice must be given before any job action, putting the deadline at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.
In a news release, CUPE’s Air Canada component president Jeff Taylor said the results show just how frustrated the airline’s 6,800 flight attendants are.
“We urge the federal government, in the strongest possible terms, to respect our right to collective bargaining and not intervene unilaterally in this dispute,” said Taylor.
The four-year agreement called for a wage increase of 2 per cent in the first three years and 3 per cent in the final year. It also called for increased pension payments from employees, who say it’s their turn to benefit after making significant concessions during the lean years when the airline was on the brink of bankruptcy.
In a statement, Air Canada’s executive vice-president and chief operating officer Duncan Dee expressed disappointment.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that two tentative agreements negotiated in good faith with and unanimously recommended by the democratically elected representatives of our flight attendants have failed to be ratified,” Dee said.
However, in recognition of the uncertainty of this situation, passengers holding tickets for travel within the next six days, on a rolling window basis, can rebook without charge for dates until Dec. 15, subject to seat availability.
It’s the same policy the airline adopted in September as the clock ticked toward a strike.
At that time, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt summoned union and company officials to Ottawa, warning them that she was readying legislation to order flight attendants back to work if they walked off the job.
She cited the fragile economy as well as fears that 65,000 people could be stranded in various destinations.
The airline has been hit with repeated labour woes this year. Its customer service agents went on strike in June, but returned after three days because Raitt also threatened back-to-work legislation.
The pilots also overwhelmingly rejected a tentative deal negotiated by their union in the spring, and so far talks have yet to resume in those negotiations, in part because the rank-and-file members ousted several top union officials.
Raitt said in a statement she was “disappointed” with Sunday’s result, mentioning the two tentative agreements that were rejected after the bargaining committee recommended them.
“It is clear there is a breakdown in the process contemplated in the Canada Labour Code,” she said. “The government will be considering its options, however we will be clear that a work stoppage is unacceptable in this time of fragile economy.”
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
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