Air Canada flight attendants have served strike notice. However, not every Air Canada flight is the same and the impact on Yellowknife routes could vary.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees sent a 72-hour notice of strike action to Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.
The union says Air Canada has not negotiated seriously on issues like “poverty wages.” It declined an attempt by the airline to enter binding arbitration.
Air Canada has said it’s offering “38 percent in total compensation increase over four years” and has called the union’s demands “exorbitant.”
The notice sent by the union states a flight attendants’ strike will begin just before 1am ET on Saturday, August 16. Air Canada has issued a corresponding lockout notice, asserting that it will affect 10,000 workers.
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If a strike goes ahead, the effect won’t be the same on all Air Canada flights because some are actually operated by different companies – and by flight attendants who belong to other unions.
Here’s how your Yellowknife flight could be impacted.
Edmonton, Vancouver
Air Canada flights between Yellowknife and Edmonton or Vancouver are almost always actually “operated by Air Canada Express – Jazz” if you look at Air Canada’s website when booking or at the ticket you received by email.
Air Canada Express is a brand name for regional flights that carry Air Canada’s logo but are normally operated by Jazz Aviation or PAL Airlines.
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Flight attendants on these flights are not represented by the same bargaining unit as the one that issued a strike notice on Wednesday, so they won’t be part of any walkout.
“In the event of a disruption, Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines will continue to operate as normal as their services are provided by third-party companies,” Air Canada stated on Tuesday.
That’s the good news, from a Yellowknife traveller’s perspective. The bad news is that the flight attendants working those flights still need to get to work, and if that involves commuting on a regular Air Canada flight, their travel would be just as disrupted as anyone else’s by strike action – so some regional flights may still be affected.
Toronto
Air Canada’s direct flights between Yellowknife and Toronto are currently operated by Air Canada Rouge, the company’s leisure brand.
Rouge flight attendants are included in the strike action, so the Toronto route will be directly affected by this labour dispute.
Connections
Most flights between larger Canadian cities are mainline Air Canada routes, so connecting flights from Vancouver and Edmonton would likely be disrupted even if the Yellowknife flights continue to operate.
A strike does not mean all flights are immediately cancelled. In past labour disputes, airlines have tried to operate some of their flights despite the absence of many staff. However, the Yellowknife-Toronto route might not be prioritized in those circumstances.
“Air Canada is now considering next steps with the aim of reducing uncertainty for customers with respect to their travel plans,” the company said on Tuesday.
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“As events at other airlines in recent years have shown, sudden or unmanaged work stoppages result in chaos for travellers and shippers. An unplanned shutdown is also a major risk for the company and its other employees.”
Air Canada is now letting passengers change their flights for free if booked to travel between August 15 and August 18, with some limitations.
The airline has an obligation to rebook customers on new flights – including other airlines’ flights if need be – if it can’t provide a flight itself because of strike action, but other airlines will only have limited capacity to accommodate extra travellers.
It’s still possible for the two sides to reach an agreement before any strike begins. The federal government could intervene, as it did in the recent case of Canada Post.
“Air Canada didn’t come to the table in good faith. Instead, they called on the federal government to step in and take those rights away. This is exactly why our solidarity matters,” the union stated early on Wednesday.
“We believe our government must uphold the principles it is sworn to protect, not undermine them. We call on the Liberal government to respect our right to take job action in pursuit of a fair contract.”
Air Canada’s chief human resources officer, Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, said the sides were still “far apart on key issues.”
“We are disappointed our proposal to resolve the outstanding items fairly through arbitration has been rejected by the union and it is instead insisting on unsustainable wage increases. We are now at an impasse in talks,” Meloul-Wechsler stated on Tuesday.
“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.”
