The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) stated in a statement on Sunday that its members would continue to strike and have invited Air Canada back to the table to “negotiate a fair deal.”
The biggest airline in Canada has announced that its flights will resume on Monday night. During the peak summer travel season, about 130, 000 people were already affected by the strike each day.
The Canadian government requested from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on Saturday to order a binding arbitration order to put an end to a strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants at the nation’s largest carrier.
In order to safeguard the economy, the government has the authority to request a binding arbitration from the CIRB under the terms of the Canadian Labour Code. Unionized flight attendants opposed the order, which Air Canada had requested from the CIRB.
A union’s defiance of a CIRB order is unusual. What options does the government have if the union continues its strike, it was unclear right away.
After months of negotiations over a new contract, Air Canada flight attendants finally quit their jobs on Saturday for the first time since 1985.
Other unions shook the flight attendants’ picket line in support of solidarity in Toronto on Sunday, according to Natasha Stea, a local union president and flight attendant.
They are supporting us because they are seeing the erosion of our rights, Stea said.
The union’s request for compensation for time spent on the ground between flights and when assisting passengers on board has been the most contentious issue. The majority of guests are only paid when their plane is moving.
Source: Aljazeera
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