Wondering just how much of an impact a worker strike can have on the organization? We look to the Air Canada strike that started on Saturday, where members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) began their protest for better compensation and a contract that sufficiently meets their needs. The Air Canada staff strike was met with a return-to-work order by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, but the union called the demand “blatantly unconstitutional” and stood by their decision to remain on strike.
As a result of the strike, Air Canada had no choice but to cancel around 240 flights on Sunday, even after it was recovering from the grounding of around 700 flights a day. The flight attendants and cabin crew who were protesting as part of the union remained adamant about their right to strike and resist orders “designed to protect the airline’s profit.”
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Air Canada Strike Continues as Flight Attendants Demand a “Fair, Negotiated Contract”
Flight attendants who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) launched a strike on Saturday, long after their existing contract with the company expired on March 31, and a new contract couldn’t be negotiated. Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants took matters into their own hands to demand better terms of work after months of failed negotiations, walking off the job and causing the cancellation of over 700 flights.
According to the BBC, the airline’s last offer presented workers with a 38% increase in their total compensation over the course of four years, which would have included benefits and pension. The airlines believed that the offer “would have made their flight attendants the best compensated in Canada,” however, workers were not satisfied. From the standpoint of employees, the raise for the first year was insufficient to aid them in keeping up with inflation-based changes.
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) Steps In
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board intervened to demand that flight attendants return to their posts and work under the terms of the previous contract until a new one could be negotiated, but the union stated that doing so would take the pressure off the organization and allow it to meet its business goals while failing to meet employee demands.
Air Canada initially hoped that the return-to-work government-backed labor board mandate would allow it to resume operations on Sunday, but the union members’ refusal to do so left them with no choice but to cancel flights once more. Travelers were left stranded at the airport, unsure if the airlines would provide them with any alternatives to the cancelled flights.
Air Canada Suspends Restart Until Monday—What Happens Next?
Following the flight attendant strike, Air Canada has plans to restart operations late on Monday; however, it is unclear how matters will proceed. Several flights are expected to remain disrupted for the next 7 to 10 days. The flight attendants on strike may have resisted the return-to-work order, but it’s unclear what repercussions this transgression will have.
According to Reuters, the last time Canadian postal workers refused to comply with such legislation in 1978, they were faced with fines, while the union leader was also faced with jail time for contempt of Parliament. The CUPE union may face similar consequences for defying the order under the regulations of contempt of the law if the Canada Industrial Relations Board decides to proceed with such measures.
In a recent update on the CUPE Facebook page, the union claimed members had received an email from Air Canada Vice President Andrew Yu, to “threaten” them back to work.
In response, the union provided a template for members to use to reply to the email, part of which stated, “Considering you work for a company that has; misled the public, misrepresented facts about our contract to new recruits before they were hired, facts about our contract to new recruits after they were hired, and facts about our contract to current employees while they were exercising their legal right to strike, we understand why you may believe continuing to support your superiors to be the best way to ensure employment.”
Prevention Is Better Than Cure—Air Canada’s Staff Strike Shows the Pitfalls of Disruption
While the consequences of the Air Canada strike continue to unfold, workers remain hopeful for a better contract that addresses wages and work conditions, aiming to redefine operations for the coming years. CUPE is expected to challenge any repercussions that are levied in its direction, and the results of this engagement could set a precedent for other Canadian unions and their own resistance movements and protests as well.
As matters draw closer to resolution, it becomes evident that the issue largely stemmed from the organization’s prolonged inability to provide an updated contract that met the workers’ needs after the initial contract expired in March. For most organizations, it is important to understand the needs of the workers and negotiate in good faith to ensure their needs are met preemptively.
Avoiding escalations entirely is better for the organization than dealing with the aftermath of disappointed employees and enraged customers, and this can often be achieved through regular conversations with workers as well as their union representatives.
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