Not again! Potential strike at Air Canada

[LuzzBightyear]

Air Canada’s flight attendants will conduct a strike vote after overwhelmingly rejecting a new tentative agreement with the airline.

If the flight attendants give their union leadership a strike mandate, it could see Air Canada’s 6,800 flight attendants walk off the job as early as the third week of September.

The Air Canada Component of CUPE said 88% the flight attendants who cast a ballot voted against the deal, with 79% of those eligible to vote doing so.

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/08/27/air-canada-flight-attendants-reject-labour-deal/

I know...old news by now, but is anyone with fall travel plans to Disney concerned?

Hopefully both sides realize the government does not seem afraid to invoke back to work legislation and they will come to a negotiated settlement sooner rather than later! Even the potential for a strike hurts both sides in the end

 

[SmilingGrump]

I've avoided AC for years. I've found their service to be as low as the US airlines but with pricing of a Canadian airline and connections all their own. I understand that out East their better, but here out West we're pretty tired of the Gov't bailing them out with our tax money on a regular basis (whether those bailouts be in direct cash injections to them or that they're the airline of choice for gov't travel even though other airlines are cheaper).

I know a few AC flight attendants and they were pretty ecstatic about the vote results, so I'd bet on them striking.

 

[tone.def]

Now that AC is charging for bags into the US, I won't be flying them anyway. It's their demise.

 

[SmilingGrump]

Now that AC is charging for bags into the US, I won't be flying them anyway. It's their demise.

Sadly, it won't be. Aeroplan is worth more then AC (crazy, but true) and government employees and politicians hold a LOT of Aeroplan points, therefore when AC gets in financial trouble (again) they'll just get bailed out (again). AC won't be going out of business until Canadian skies are opened to international competition, and that's just never going to happen.

 

[LuzzBightyear]

I know a few AC flight attendants and they were pretty ecstatic about the vote results, so I'd bet on them striking.

Whether they want/vote to strike is one thing. Whether the government will let them is another. With news the economy contracted this past quarter, my guess is that the government will not want to rock the boat whatsoever and will put the kibosh to any strike quicker than they did in June

 

[dennise]

We are flying AC on Sept. 29 from Orlando to Halifax, hope there is no strike, not sure how rebooking would work we used Avion points for our tickets.

 

[treehugnmama]

We are flying AC on Sept. 29 from Orlando to Halifax, hope there is no strike, not sure how rebooking would work we used Avion points for our tickets.

I hope it all works out for tou

 

[Mickey1Fan]

I have family flying in early October so hopefully all will be OK for them

 

[karenscottparsons]

We are leaving for disney on the 22, 13 more days hopefully. I am frightened to death we are going to get tangled up in a strike.

 

[mermaid&cinderella]

Argh...I don't want to hear that. We are flying AC to Orlando on sept 29th

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I am leaving on the 30th, hopefully!

Between this and the checked bag fee (which thankfully won't affect me this time around), I will never sway from WestJet again just to save a few bucks. WestJet has never let me down. I can't believe I chose now to try AC!

 

[WalkingintheFog]

I booked w/ aeroplan, and fly out on Sep 28.
My fingers are crossed tight!
Just let me get down there!

 

[BELLEDOZER]

We are flying to DL on the 29th via Westjet so we won't be affected, but I really do feel for those who are flying AC, and hope that their flights won't be affected by the strike.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Local news just reported that an AC vote to strike was overwhelming and they could go next Wednesday, 21st.

They will keep a "Partial Schedule". Whatever that means.

I might not be flying out on the 30th after all.

 

[gilsan]

I am flying to Italy at the end of October so I hope that it is all settled by then.

 

[LuzzBightyear]

Local news just reported that an AC vote to strike was overwhelming and they could go next Wednesday, 21st.

They will keep a "Partial Schedule". Whatever that means.

I might not be flying out on the 30th after all.

The Globe and Mail says both sides are still negotiating with the assistance of a federal mediator, so hopefully the two sides can come to a settlement before the 21st.
But if they do strike on the 21st, I think you will be ok for the 30th. In all likelihood, the federal government will not let this last that long. I would consider writing to your MP expressing your concerns though.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

The Globe and Mail says both sides are still negotiating with the assistance of a federal mediator, so hopefully the two sides can come to a settlement before the 21st.
But if they do strike on the 21st, I think you will be ok for the 30th. In all likelihood, the federal government will not let this last that long. I would consider writing to your MP expressing your concerns though.

That is great advice..... I have just drafted a letter! I think I will deliver it to the office in person.

 

[damo]

Well, we fly out on the 15th and back on the 24th....yikes!

 

[Zife]

The Globe and Mail says both sides are still negotiating with the assistance of a federal mediator, so hopefully the two sides can come to a settlement before the 21st.
But if they do strike on the 21st, I think you will be ok for the 30th. In all likelihood, the federal government will not let this last that long. I would consider writing to your MP expressing your concerns though.

I hate the idea of a trip being ruined because of AC striking (I'm hopefully flying out on Sept 29, so I'm in the same boat), but I don't think we should be writing to MPs or anything like that.

In fact, the government should technically stay out of this job action completely, since AC is no longer a Crown Corporation; it's a publicly traded (or privately owned, can't reember which) company. If some random union at a factory had issues (which happened here at Purity Factories), you wouldn't expect the government to step in and fix them. Purity was locked out for months before something was mediated.

All of that said, my trip is booked through Air Miles. I called them to ask what would happen if AC strikes, and they said I'd have to deal with AC since I didn't get the Air Miles Insurance. Air Miles would be no help at all.

I also talked to my travel agent (who the rest of the trip is booked through), and she said not to worry too much about it right now. There are no guarantees that there will be a strike, and she said that historically when airlines strike, other airlines step up to help out so that people's vacations aren't ruined.

Finally, if you have a travel agent that you usually deal with, get in touch with them even if you didn't book through them. Like I said, I booked with Air Miles, but my TA said that if there's an issue, Air Canada usually gives TAs authority to 'take over' reservations to help make sure people get where they're going.

 

[LuzzBightyear]

I hate the idea of a trip being ruined because of AC striking (I'm hopefully flying out on Sept 29, so I'm in the same boat), but I don't think we should be writing to MPs or anything like that.

In fact, the government should technically stay out of this job action completely, since AC is no longer a Crown Corporation; it's a publicly traded (or privately owned, can't reember which) company. If some random union at a factory had issues (which happened here at Purity Factories), you wouldn't expect the government to step in and fix them. Purity was locked out for months before something was mediated.

Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion and if you feel it is inappropriate for government to intervene, you are free to write your MP to tell them so just as any other citizen is for whatever concerns they have.

I am not sure what Purity Factories is or does, but would a work stoppage have a significant negative effect on the country's economy in a time we are treading close to another recession? It shouldn't matter a company is private or public, if it is in the public's best interest, then I yes, I do expect action to be taken. If anything else, as we have seen with the last labour dispute in June, just the threat of back to work legislation was enough for the two sides to come together and actually come to an agreement before the legislation was finalized.