Air Canada could begin cancelling flights at short notice before strike deadline
Air Canada could begin winding down operations and cancelling flights very soon, ahead of Sunday’s strike deadline.
If the union representing its pilots cannot reach a negotiated agreement to avoid a strike or shutdown, the federal government must be prepared to resort to binding arbitration or force the pilots back to work, a group representing small businesses said Friday morning.
The announcement comes as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing Air Canada pilots in the labour dispute, announced it would meet with Air Canada on Friday to try to reach an agreement.
“We continue to meet with Air Canada today with the goal of reaching a new contract at the bargaining table and avoiding legal strike action and the impact it will have on our passengers,” Charlene Hudy, first officer and chair of the Air Canada ALPA executive council, told Global News in a statement.
Unless an agreement is reached by Sunday, Air Canada or the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents 5,200 Air Canada pilots, could issue a 72-hour notice of a lockout or strike.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has urged all parties to ensure that flight services remain in place and that an agreement is reached at the negotiating table.
Dan Kelly, CFIB president, said in a statement: “If Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Association cannot reach an agreement, the federal government must be prepared to step in and impose binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that small businesses and our economy do not suffer another costly disruption to Canada’s transportation system.”
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the United States Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of Canada also issued a joint statement.
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“Every year, millions of Canadians and Americans travel by air, as do essential and time-sensitive goods. The Government of Canada must act quickly to avoid another labour disruption that would negatively impact cross-border travel and trade, with negative consequences for people and businesses,” the statement reads.
Business, industry and tourism groups have called on the federal government to intervene before a strike or lockout disrupts air travel.
Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau said in a statement Monday that while there is still time to reach an agreement with the pilots, “Canadians have recently seen the chaos that sudden airline shutdowns are causing for travellers, requiring us to do everything we can to protect our customers from an increasingly likely work stoppage.”
The 72-hour notice period for closure or strike action could begin any time after midnight on Sunday, and operations are expected to stop completely by Wednesday, September 18. However, some operations are expected to begin winding down as early as Friday, the airline said.
Rosseau said 80 per cent of Air Canada passengers could be affected by the work stoppages. The airline said it would begin an “orderly shutdown” of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations as soon as a strike or lockout notice is issued.
Duncan Dee, Air Canada’s former chief operating officer, told Global News: “Air Canada will begin to wind down its operations by moving its aircraft closer and closer to its bases, where it has crews and mechanics available to service those aircraft in the event of a disruption, so that when operations do restart, it can do so much more quickly, with much less impact on the travelling public.”
Air Canada Express flights will continue to be operated by third-party carriers, Jazz and PAL Airlines. However, these regional partners carry only about 20 per cent of Air Canada’s daily customers, many of whom connect to Air Canada flights.
The airline said a work stoppage could affect 110,000 passengers a day.
ALPA set up a “strike headquarters” near Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday. The union said in a statement that the move was intended to support its members in the event of a strike.
Last month, the Pilots voted overwhelmingly to approve strike mandate if no agreement on a new contract can be reached.
Co-pilot Charlene Hudy, chair of the Air Canada ALPA executive council, said in a statement: “Rather than attacking professional pilots who safely transport their passengers day in and day out, Air Canada should stop threatening to disrupt air travel and come to the table with serious proposals to keep Canada’s flagship carrier competitive in the global aviation marketplace.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would “never support” any back-to-work legislation.
At a news conference earlier Wednesday in Ottawa, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for a “fair deal” and for Air Canada to negotiate in “good faith” with unionized workers.
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