Air Canada flight attendants say they will begin strike just after midnight
Posted Oct 12, 2011 11:17:25 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL, Que. – Air Canada’s flight attendants said they have not received an order that would prevent them from launching a strike just after midnight.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 6,800 flight attendants at the country’s largest airline, said it is in a legal strike position but remains available to resume negotiations.
The union had served 72 hours notice on Sunday after members rejected a second tentative agreement.
But Labour Minister Lisa Raitt announced Tuesday that the government would move to prevent a strike by sending the matter to the Canada Industrial Relations Board for review.
She said no strike or lockout is permitted while the independent agency is studying the matter.
The minister wants the CIRB to examine the difficulties in winning ratification of two tentative agreements reached by company and union negotiators.
Air Canada issued a statement late Tuesday that said the airline’s representatives would will appear before the CIRB as required.
The tentative deal was reached Sept. 20 with the help of a federal mediator appointed by Raitt and the threat of back-to-work legislation that could have been quickly passed while the House of Commons was sitting.
The reference appeared designed to buy the government time to pass back to work legislation once the House of Commons resumes sitting on Monday.
Members of Parliament could have been recalled to pass any back-to-work legislation, but House rules would have prevented any law from being passed until after the start of the threatened strike early Thursday.
