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CUPE national president, Paul Moist heads to Halifax Monday morning intending to speak to as many politicians and others as possible about the brewing crises set off by Air Canada’s decision to shut down bases in Halifax and Winnipeg.

“It is time for people, en masse, to pay attention to what is happening to public services in Canada,” said Moist, At the Hilton Garden Inn Monday, July 14, Paul Moist will share with members, multi-level government politicians and media, CUPE’s plans to ensure that Air Canada is put under public scrutiny about the latest announcements and more.

Hundreds of CUPE members’ jobs could be at stake as a result of Air Canada’s announcements.

“Canadians are becoming increasingly incensed with the results of sell offs of all kinds of services important to making Canada accessible to Canadians,” says Moist. He is referring to Air Canada’s recent announcement of its intention to close bases in Halifax and Winnipeg.

Once a Canadian crown corporation Air Canada is currently presenting a very strange image, according to Moist. Robert Milton (Air Canada president) is reported to have made 43 million dollars in one year while his company threatens to lay off hundreds of people, blaming the layoffs and service cuts on the price of fuel.

“Canada’s airline is whittling away services to Canadians and they have been doing this for some time,” said Moist. “Saskatoon, for example is much harder to get to by air than it was a few years ago. “Now, the Air Canada plan makes us wonder about  future  service to and from Halifax and Winnipeg,” says Moist.

CUPE’s national president promised flight attendants affected by the cuts that their union will pull out all stops in countering last week’s Air Canada announcement of closures that will cause significant hardship and job losses to two of Canada’s largest urban centres .

Watch this space after the meeting on Monday, July 14 for further developments in the Air Canada crises.