CUPE’s National President Mark Hancock, and CUPE’s National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick, urge Air Canada to get back to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair deal for their workers.
This comes after CUPE’s Air Canada Component issued a 72-hour strike notice, to which the employer responded with a 72-hour lockout notice and a plea to the federal government to legislate striking members back to work.
“Flight attendants should be paid for every minute they spend on the job. It’s as simple as that,” said Hancock. “But instead of negotiating in good faith, Air Canada is asking the federal government to help get them off the hook.”
“This is an equity issue,” added Rennick. “Unpaid work in the airline industry affects mostly women who have already lost wages over the last ten years. Air Canada must return to the bargaining table to avoid chaos for travellers, and pay their workers — the people who ensure the safety and comfort of their customers — exactly what they’re owed.”