I had a completely separate article in the works for a Saturday afternoon but, in a somewhat surprising move, the Canadian government has ordered striking Air Canada flight attendants back to work. Whether or not they return is still up in the air.
Canadian Government Forces Binding Arbitration in Labor Dispute
Less than twelve hours after the airline ceased operations due to an ongoing labor dispute, the Canadian government put an end to the strike by imposing binding arbitration in an effort to avert mounting travel chaos.
Patty Hadju, the Canadian Minister of Jobs and Families, who ordered the two sides into binding arbitration, said this:
“The impact of the work stoppage at Air Canada that began early this morning is already being felt by travelers. This is causing significant harm and has negative impacts on Canadians and the Canadian economy.”
Air Canada has cancelled over a thousand flights and hundreds of thousands of passengers have been inconvenienced as a result of the disruption. While Hadju has ordered striking flight attendants back to work, Air Canada will likely need a few days before it is able to restart operations.
The timeline for relaunching operations is currently TBD as striking flight attendants have taken to social media to protest the government’s decision. According to the airline, it will take five to ten days for operations to return to normal.
Union Members are not Happy About the Return to Work Order
Unsurprisingly, striking flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), did not take kindly to the government’s order. Video posted to social media shows flight attendants picketing at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) chanting “Forced to fly we won’t comply.”
The union president, Wesley Lesosky, said this about the government’s order:
“The Liberals are violating our charter rights to take job action and giving Air Canada exactly what they want — hours and hours of unpaid labor from underpaid flight attendants.”
It remains to be seen how this scenario will ultimately play out but, neither side seems inclined to work with the other. Air Canada has been taking an increasingly aggressive approach regarding the strike on social media but, it appears the general public is siding with the flight attendants union.
Summary
The Canadian government has ordered Air Canada flight attendants back to work, ending a short lived strike by members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The timeline for the resumption of operations is still up in the air as union members have indicated they have no plans to return to work.
This dispute is headed to binding arbitration but, if you’re traveling with Air Canada in the coming days, I would expect disruptions along the way.