Air Canada Halts Restart Plans Amid Union Defiance

Air Canada has suspended plans to restart operations on Monday after the union representing 10,000 flight attendants said they will defy a return to work order.The union, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), stated that it will not comply with an order by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to resume flights. The board had previously ordered airline staff back to work by 2 p.m. Sunday after the government intervened and Air Canada said it planned to resume flights Sunday evening."Our members are not going back to work," CUPE national president Mark Hancock said outside the Toronto Airport. "We are saying no."Hancock also criticized the process, stating that the "whole process has been unfair" and that they will challenge what they called an unconstitutional order.The federal government and Air Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Air Canada had previously announced plans to resume flights on Sunday evening, but the airline now says it will restart operations on Monday. The first flights are expected to take off later in the day, with some flights still being canceled over the next seven to 10 days until the schedule is stabilized.The shutdown of Air Canada's operations has impacted around 130,000 people a day, with the airline operating approximately 700 flights per day.CUPE and Air Canada have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they remain far apart on issues such as pay and unpaid work. The union pushed back against an offer from the airline that included a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, stating that it didn't go far enough to address inflation."We are saying no," Hancock said. "Air Canada has really refused to bargain with us and they refused to bargain with us because they knew this government would come in on their white horse and try and save the day."

Air Canada has put its plans for restarting operations on hold amid defiance from unions representing pilots, flight attendants, and ground crew. The move comes as the airline struggles to find a compromise with workers who are pushing back against changes aimed at addressing financial pressures."The company is trying to unilaterally impose new terms on us without proper consultation or negotiation," said Captain Bob Cummings, chair of the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA). "We're not going to accept that."Blockquote:"We're not going to let our members' rights be trampled on. We're willing to work with the company, but we're not going to give in to their demands without getting something in return," said Leslie Roberts, national president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).Air Canada has been working to restart its operations following a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, negotiations with unions over changes aimed at addressing financial pressures have stalled.