The Government of Canada forced Air Canada and its striking on -board agents return to work and in the arbitration on Saturday after a work stoppage more than 100,000 travelers around the world during the tip of summer trips.
Federal Minister of Jobs Patty Hajdu said it was not the time to take risks with the economy, noting that the unprecedented prices that the United States has imposed in Canada. The intervention means that the 10,000 on -board agents will return to work soon.
The government’s action occurred less than 12 hours after the workers left the post.
“The talks have broken down. It is clear that the parties are not closer to solving some of the key problems that remain and they will need help with the referee,” said Hajdu.
Hajdu said that the full resumption of services could take days, noting that it is up to the Canada Industrial Relations Council. Meanwhile, Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of the Cup Union, accused the government of violating the constitutional right of strike agents – and decried Hajdu for only the hours of waiting.
“The liberal government is enriching the refusal of Air Canada to negotiate fairly by giving them exactly what they wanted,” Lesosky said.
Air Canada did not immediately comment additional when it was reached on Saturday afternoon. But Air Canada’s Operation Chief Mark Nasr previously said that he could take up to a week to fully restart operations. It is likely that travelers will continue to see disturbances in the coming days.
The existing agreement will remain in place by arbitration
The closure of the largest airline in Canada early Saturday Saturday about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians could be blocked. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.
According to figures from the Aviation Cirium analysis supplier, Air Canada had canceled a total of 671 flights by Saturday afternoon – after 199 Friday. And 96 other flights scheduled for Sunday have already been suspended.
Hajdu ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Council to extend the duration of the existing collective agreement until new is determined by the arbitrator.
“Canadians are counting on plane travel every day, and its importance cannot be underestimated,” she said.
Union spokesperson Hugh Pouliot did not immediately know what day the workers would return to work. “We are on strikes until further notice,” he said.
The fight against bitter contracts intensified on Friday while the union refused the previous request of Air Canada to conclude an arbitration led by the government, which allows a third -party mediator to decide on the terms of a new contract.
“So little progress has been made”
The on -board agents left the post around 1 a.m. on the HA on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said that it would start to lock the airports on -board agents.
Ian Lee, an associate professor at the SPROTT School of Business at the University of Carleton, previously noted that the government intervenes several times in transport strikes.
“They will intervene to end the strike. Why? Because it happened 45 times from 1950 to now,” said Lee. “It is because of the incredible dependence of Canadians.”
Last year, the government forced the country’s two large railways to arbitration with their union during a work stoppage. The union of rail workers is continuing, arguing that the Government removes the leverage of a union in the negotiations.
The Canada Affairs Council also urged the government to impose a binding arbitration in this case. And the Canadian Chamber of Commerce praised the intervention.
“With precious cargo anchored and blocked passengers, the government has made the right decision to refer both parties to binding arbitration,” said Matthew Holmes, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce – adding that “nearly a million Canadians and international visitors could be assigned” if it looks a week again fully operational.
Hajdu argued that his liberal government is not anti-union, saying that it is clear that the two parties are at a dead end.
Travelers in limbo
Passengers whose flights are assigned may request a full refund on the website or mobile application of the airline, according to Air Canada.
The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. However, he warned that this could not guarantee immediate refund because thefts on other airlines are already complete “due to the peak in summer travel”.
Many travelers have expressed their frustration at Air Canada’s response to the strike.
Jean – Nicolas Reyt, 42, said that he had heard little of Air Canada a few hours before his next flight from France scheduled for Sunday.
“What is stressful is to hear anything from Air Canada,” said Reyt, who tries to return to Montreal, where he is an associate professor of organizational behavior at McGill University. He said that he had only received one email from the airline on Thursday by warning potential strike disruptions, but had no more information on Saturday evening in Cannes, where he visited his family.
Reyt assumes that his next flight could be canceled – just like the dozens of other long disturbances this weekend. “I am very surprised that Air Canada let go so far,” he said. “It is really a little discouraging that they steal you somewhere abroad and then they do not turn you back.”
Jennifer Macdonald, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, expressed her similar frustration. She tried to help her brother and cousin to go home to Edmonton, Alberta, since the second stage of their Air Canada trip was canceled during what was supposed to be an hour’s stopover in Montreal on Friday evening.
Both had to pay $ 300 on their own pocket for a hotel, Macdonald said. All Saturday morning, they tried to look for rejection options, but everything was sold, she added. Finally, they chose to reserve a new flight for August 22 in Halifax, with another member of the family volunteer to make an eight -hour road to recover them in Montreal and bring them back to the East on Saturday.
“It will be a test of several days and a trip of several thousand dollars,” said Macdonald. But as stressful as the disturbances were, she added that her family was united with the on -board agents. “We hope that Canada raises the lockout and negotiates fairly.”
Following the news of the Canadian government forcing arbitration on Saturday, Reyt also expressed concern about Air Canada on -board agents. “I think on-board agents make reasonable arguments,” he said, adding that he hoped that the intervention is not “a way to silence them”.
The sides are far removed in wages
Air Canada and the Canadian Public employees union have been in contractual talks for about eight months, but they have not yet concluded a provisional agreement.
The two parties say that they remain distant on the issue of remuneration and that unpaid on -board agents do it when the planes are not in the air.
“We have a broken heart for our passengers. No one wants to see Canadians blocked or worried about their travel plans, but we cannot work for free,” said Natasha Stea, an Air Canada on -board agent and president of the local Union, before the announcement of the government intervention.
Assistants are around 70% of women. STEA said that Air Canada pilots, who are dominated by men, received a significant increase last year and wondered if they received fair treatment.
The airline’s latest offer included a 38% increase in total remuneration, including benefits and four -year pensions, which said: “The best compensated on -board in Canada would have made.”
But the union postponed, saying that the 8% increase in the first year did not go far enough because of inflation.
