‘If it means going to jail, so be it’: Air Canada union chief vows to combat; strike enters third day regardless of back-to-work order – Occasions of India


Air Canada staff and union members protest outdoors the Air Canada headquarters in Montreal. (AP)

The strike by over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants entered its third day on Monday, leaving tons of of 1000’s of passengers stranded amid the height summer season journey season. The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) had declared the stoppage unlawful and ordered employees again to their posts, however the union has refused to conform. CUPE Nationwide President Mark Hancock, talking at a briefing on Monday, signaled the union’s willpower. “There is not any restrict. We will keep sturdy. We will keep dedicated to creating certain that these employees can do the job they love doing and truly be capable of afford a roof over their heads, to afford caring for his or her households,” he stated. “And if it means of us like me going to jail, then so be it. If it means our union being fined, then so be it. We’re on the lookout for an answer right here. Our members desire a resolution right here. However that resolution needs to be discovered at a bargaining desk.” Flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday after rejecting Air Canada’s request to enter government-directed arbitration, which might permit a 3rd get together to find out contract phrases. Hancock publicly tore up a duplicate of the preliminary back-to-work order outdoors Toronto’s Pearson Worldwide Airport, to the cheers of picketing employees. Air Canada has warned workers that these defying the order could also be held personally accountable. The airline suspended plans to restart operations Sunday night after the union refused to return to work, affecting about 130,000 passengers day by day. Prime Minister Mark Carney urged either side to resolve the dispute shortly. “We’re in a scenario the place actually tons of of 1000’s of Canadians and guests to our nation are being disrupted by this motion,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity for honest compensation and a decision. The union is demanding wages similar to these at Air Transat and pay for work on the bottom, equivalent to boarding passengers. Air Canada’s provide included a 38% enhance in whole compensation over 4 years, however CUPE rejected it, citing inadequate first-year raises towards inflation. With no fast signal of compromise, the standoff is anticipated to proceed, leaving passengers unsure and the federal government weighing potential authorized or legislative measures to finish the strike.