Air Canada flight attendants are casting their final ballots in a strike vote that could lead to thousands of cancelled flights in the event of a work stoppage.
Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Air Canada component called for a strike vote on July 25 after it concluded the conciliation process with no deal.
The vote began July 28 and is set to wrap Tuesday.
The union represents 10,000 flight attendants who work on board Air Canada’s mainline and Rouge aircraft.
The union told Global News on Tuesday that the vote ends at 2 p.m. eastern, and it’s expected results will be known in the evening.
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According to the union, flight attendants are coming off a 10-year agreement with Air Canada.
During that time, the union said its members have lost “significant purchasing power” and that it is negotiating for higher wages and an “end to the abuse of unpaid work.”
The union said that before, during and after flights, flight attendants are required to perform “hours of unpaid mandatory” duties, including safety checks, boarding, deplaning and assisting passengers with special needs.
Even if union members give a mandate for a strike, Air Canada has noted that a strike can’t take place before a 21-day cooling-off period, which would follow the expiration of the 60-day conciliation period.
CUPE started that cooling off period on July 25 when it ended the conciliation process. According to the union, if it receives a strong mandate, it could issue a 72-hour strike notice as early as Aug. 16.
According to the airline, it averages more than 500 daily domestic flights, with 430 flights to the U.S. each day and more than 170 trips to international destinations.
More to come.
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