Air Canada strike grounds 623 flights

AFP :

Air Canada’s flight attendants were poised to strike on Saturday as the carrier cancelled hundreds of flights impacting more than 100,000 passengers ahead of a threatened work stoppage that could shut down service.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants, was in a legal position to strike as of 12:01 am , after delivering a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday.

The public broadcaster CBC reported the labor action could begin around 1:00 am if no last-minute deal is reached.

Air Canada, which transports about 130,000 passengers daily, had said it would gradually wind down operations ahead of the possible strike.
As of 8:00 pm Friday, the airline said it had cancelled 623 flights affecting more than 100,000 passengers.

In addition to wage increases, the union says it wants to address uncompensated ground work, including during the boarding process.

Rafael Gomez, who heads the University of Toronto’s Center for Industrial Relations, told AFP it’s “common practice, even around the world” to compensate flight attendants based on time spent in the air.