Air Canada Flights Suspended: What Passengers Need To Know About Strike

Passenger’s summer travel plans were put in uncertainty while the air officers of Air Canada was put on strike following a dispute on the salary, a decision which reports disturbances of more than 10,000 passengers.

Nowsweek Contacta Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUP) to comment by e-mail outside regular work hours.

Why it matters

Air Canada is the largest carrier in the country, and the strike is expected to affect 130,000 travelers. The airline employs more than 40,000 people, with more than 250 planes traveling to 200 destinations in around 65 countries.

About 200 Air Canada flights are to the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal. The strike comes as Canadians are avoiding more and more the United States due to diplomatic tensions between neighbors. With more Canadians having a home vacation, Air Canada has experienced additional pressure on domestic roads.

What to know

On August 5, the Air Canada part of the CUPE, which represents more than 10,000 on -board agents, said in a press release that its members had voted 99.7% in favor of a strike action if necessary for a remuneration dispute.

This strike action began on August 16, just before 1 a.m., marking the first strike of the airline agents since 1985. The union gave a 72 -hour strike in Air Canada on Wednesday morning. The airline has moved to planes on the ground in the middle of the summer vacation period.

Air Canada said that he would contact customers by SMS or by e-mail to tell them about affected trips and their options.

“For these customers who move soon, whose flights are not yet canceled, Air Canada has set up a goodwill policy to allow them to read their trip or obtain credit for future trips,” the airline said in a press release.

Air Canada advised travelers not to go to the airport without a new confirmed reservation.

“Air Canada deeply regrets the effect of the strike on customers,” the airline said in the press release.

Air Canada Express flights, operated by a third -party airline, are not affected.

In a separate press release, Air Canada provided details on its offer to the Union: “Under the proposal, which is not looking for any concession, there is a 38% increase in total remuneration over four years.”

The union said that the offer had not reflected inflation and did not cover spending enough.

What people say

Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of the CUPE, said in a press release: “Over the past nine months, we have presented solid and data -based work -based proposals, all rooted in fairness and industry standards. Air Canada’s response to our proposals clearly shows: they are not interested in solving these critical problems.”

Air Canada said in a press release: “Air Canada and Red Air Canada carry around 130,000 customers per day that could be affected by a disturbance, this includes the 25,000 Canadians that the airline returns abroad every day, which could be blocked.”

What happens next

It remains to be seen when the strike action ends.