“With each events declaring an deadlock in negotiations, with priceless cargo grounded and passengers stranded, the federal government made the fitting determination to refer the 2 sides to binding arbitration,” Matthew Holmes, chief of public coverage for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, stated in a press release.
WAGE DISPUTE
Whereas essentially the most contentious matter was compensation for time spent on the bottom, there was additionally disagreement over broader wage points. The service had supplied a 38 p.c improve in complete compensation for flight attendants over 4 years, with a 25 p.c elevate within the first yr, which CUPE stated was inadequate.
The union has stated Air Canada supplied to compensate flight attendants for some work that’s now unpaid at 50 p.c of their hourly charge.
A supply near the negotiations advised Reuters the union was on the lookout for parity on wages with Canadian leisure service Air Transat. Its flight attendants authorised a contract final yr that supplied for complete compounded will increase of 30 p.c over 5 years, making them the very best paid within the business in Canada.
Air Canada didn’t affirm if such a proposal had been put forth by the union.
Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada part of CUPE, stated in a press convention in Toronto earlier on Saturday that there have been no bargaining periods scheduled between the 2 sides, which have held on-and-off negotiations for months.
Earlier within the day exterior Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport, the nation’s busiest, a whole bunch of cabin crew waved flags, banners and picket indicators. Union officers referred to as on members to assemble exterior the entire nation’s main airports, together with in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.
