Agents react to the news that Air Canada flight attendants are prepared to strike as early as this month
Travel agents are keeping a wary eye on Air Canada’s labour situation, aware that a possible strike by flight attendants would cause huge disruptions to this country’s travel industry. The union representing over 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge said earlier this week that its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of walking off the job if it’s deemed “necessary.”
A strike vote is a necessary precursor for legal job action but does not necessarily mean that Air Canada flight attendants will walk out. The union reported that 99.7% of members voted in favour of hitting the picket lines if their union and Air Canada management don’t reach an agreement.
Salaries are at the centre of negotiations, with the union charging that Air Canada is making large profits while paying “poverty-level wages.”
Tasha Walsh of Calgary’s Destinations Await told Travel Courier she’s closely watching developments.
“I’m concerned about the possible Air Canada strike and the impact it could have on travellers,” Walsh said. “Right now it’s a wait to see if Air Canada and the flight attendants can come to an agreement before the strike deadline. For those travellers that could be affected by the strike they have a couple of options: purchase alternative refundable flights with another carrier, or change their travel plans if they have that flexibility. They may also have the option to wait to see if Air Canada will implement any sort of accommodations for travellers who’s flights may be affected, however that might not be announced till a couple days prior to the strike date. Regardless, it is a stressful time for both travellers and travel agents.”
Fellow Calgarian Carolyn O’Reilly of Genesis Vacations said she’s uneasily monitoring the situation as well.
“I am always nervous when there is a threat of a strike in the travel industry,” O’Reilly said. “For my clients at the moment, it is a wait and see as they are not flying until November on Air Canada. Because I am in the west, I sell mostly WestJet and KLM. Trip cancellation is an important factor in this as most flight cancellations due to a strike would be covered by insurance. This of course would have to have been purchased before there was any talk of a strike. If clients could afford it, I might suggest cancelling the existing booking and book with another carrier. They would have to be okay with having a credit with Air Canada and possibly lose the money on the cancellation fee plus the expense of another flight.”
Toronto travel agent Ethel Hansen Davey said a strike could have major repercussions for her.
“You bet I am concerned,” said Hansen Davey of Uniglobe Enterprise Travel. “I have clients booked with Air Canada Vacations as well as Air Canada and I’m booked on Air Canada for my personal vacation to Denmark in September. I really don’t know what we will do. I’m just waiting for guidance from our office administrator and from Air Canada.
Czarina Sastaunik of Uniglobe Carefree Travel Group in Saskatoon said fears of labour disruptions are something agents have to contend with.
“We see this year after year and respectfully, we want fair negotiations for both sides,” she said. “We are proactively reaching out to our mutual clients to help them navigate the concerns they have. We are prepared for anything and yet, we do so with a steady hand. Our goal is always to look out for our passengers and create contingency plans if strike action moves forward.”
Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, accused the airline of dragging its feet rather than negotiating “on the things that matter to our members. Now, flight attendants have had a chance to weigh in and tell the company it’s time to get serious about negotiating.”
The union claims that since inflation has risen 169% since 2000 and average full-time wages have increased 210% in Canada. But entry-level Air Canada flight attendants’ wages have only increased 10% – just $3 per hour – in the past 25 years, it says.
The union adds that Air Canada flight attendants are not paid for a significant portion of their time on the job, including while performing safety checks, attending to onboard medical and safety emergencies, and assisting passengers with boarding and deplaning.
Meanwhile, Hansen-Davey expressed sympathy for union members.
“I stand with the flight attendants on the issue of being paid from the time they start work, not when the door closes on the plane,” she said. “For them not to be paid as they meet and greet the passengers and offer assistance as needed, has long been a bone of contention. Certainly this needs to be resolved and fast. It isn’t as if there are a lot of options, domestically, or even internationally, to rebook our clients to. Everyone’s wages should keep up with inflation.”
