by EuroNews with AP
It’s published
The Canadian government returned to work and arbitration on Saturday after struck Canada and its impressive flight attendants at over 100,000 travelers around the world during the peak summer travel season.
Employment Minister of State Pati Hajidu said it is not time to take risks to the economy while announcing the intervention. This means that 10,000 flight attendants are set to return to work.
“The consultations have collapsed. It is clear that the parties are not approaching solving some of the important issues remaining and will need the help of an arbitrator,” Hajdu said.
Hajdu said it could take several days for the service to fully reopen, and it would be up to Canada’s Labor Relations Committee.
The closure of Canada’s biggest airline early on Saturday affected around 130,000 people per day, potentially causing around 25,000 Canadians to get stuck. Air Canada operates approximately 700 flights per day.
The fierce contract battle between the airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated on Friday.
The sides are far away in wages
Alex Laroche, a 21-year-old traveler with doubts about traveling to Europe, said he had considered booking a new flight with another airline, but he said it was mostly full and would cost more than twice the $3,000 he paid for his original ticket.
Laroche initially was upset by the union’s decision to take a strike, but after reading about key issues at the heart of contract negotiations, including wage issues, he said there was a change in his mind.
“They pay rarely live,” Laroche said.
The Air Canada and Canadian Civil Service Coalition have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a temporary deal.
Both sides say they are far away on wage issues, and unpaid workers that flight attendants do when the plane is not in the air.
“We are heartbroken for our passengers. We don’t want to see Canadians get left behind or worried about their travel plans, but we can’t work for free,” said Natasha Steer, Air Canada flight attendant and local union president.
Approximately 70% of the attendants are women. Stea said the male-dominated Air Canada pilot received a massive salary increase last year and questioned whether he was treated fairly.
The airline’s latest offer includes a 38% increase in total compensation, including four-year benefits and pensions, which he said “will have made flight attendants the best compensation in Canada.”
However, the union pushed back saying that the 8% salary increases proposed in the first year were not progressing well due to inflation.