Air Canada slammed for blaming staff as nearly 300 flights cancelled
Air Canada continues its preemptive cancellations ahead of a possible flight attendants’ strike, and Canadians are pissed.
After failed negotiations at the bargaining table, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, provided notice that it plans to begin a strike as early as 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 16.
In response, the carrier issued a 72-hour lockout notice and began cancelling flights on Thursday, continuing into Friday, with plans for a complete pause of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights on Saturday, Aug. 16.
According to the carrier, as of noon EDT on Friday, 294 flights have been cancelled and 55,726 travellers have been impacted.
On Thursday, the carrier shared a statement on social media that has Canadians and some of its customers unimpressed.
“CUPE, Air Canada’s flight attendants’ union, rejects agreement to fly Canadians home. As a result, 25,000 additional passengers are going to be stranded abroad,” reads the post on X.
@AirCanada/X
People flooded the airline’s replies in support of the flight attendants.
“Stranded passengers aren’t going to blame the flight attendants, no matter how hard you try,” reads one post.
“No. It’s because you refuse to pay your workers for their labour. You stranded your passengers,” added another.
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Several Air Canada customers who are directly impacted by the preemptive flight cancellations also chimed in.
“I will be heartbroken if I can’t fly to Toronto on Sunday, but my god, @AirCanada, your workers deserve so much better. I talk to flight attendants all the time, and every single one is burnt out, frustrated with their working conditions, and many are angry. They deserve better,” one flyer posted on X.
“I am booked with Air Canada on Sunday. Not looking good. From what I understand, one of the contentious issues is when the clock starts for attendants. Apparently, it’s when the airplane door closes. I would side with the union on this issue. Should be one hour before,” agreed another customer.
Even a customer who says they’re stranded in Australia is taking the flight attendants’ side.
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On Thursday evening, the airline also shared a release, clarifying its offers to CUPE. This includes hourly pay increasing by 12 to 16 per cent in the first year, improvements in health benefits and pension plans, and more measures to address concerns about rest and work-life balance.
The Air Canada Component of CUPE has maintained that the airline has “refused to recognize that flight attendants should be paid for all their time on the job.”
It says that flight attendants perform safety-related duties for free, including tasks like responding to medical emergencies, fires, and evacuations. Flight attendants also usually don’t start getting paid until the plane doors close, and the payment stops when the plane parks at the gate after landing.
CUPE also accuses the airline of refusing to increase flight attendants’ wages to match industry standards, inflation, or the federal minimum wage. Entry-level wages have only increased $3 per hour since 2000, while inflation has soared by 69 per cent.
“Our locals have had to set up food banks in our union offices for junior members who cannot afford groceries,” stated Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE. “Our members need and deserve a fair wage increase that makes everyone whole for the skyrocketing cost of living, and one that lifts our junior flight attendants out of poverty.”
If you’re affected by the preemptive flight cancellations and aren’t sure what your options are, check out Daily Hive’s guide.