Air Canada talks continue
Posted Sep 19, 2011 09:41:23 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Talks between Air Canada and its flight attendants are continuing ahead of a strike deadline later this week. The two sides have been in non-stop negotiations since Sunday morning.
Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is scheduled to meet with the union and the airline at 1 p.m. in Ottawa, where she is expected to push the two sides to reach a deal.
The roughly 6,800 flight attendants have threatened to walk off the job as of midnight Tuesday if their demands aren’t met.
However, a strike may be short-lived. A walkout in June by the airline’s customer service agents lasted just three days. While that strike slowed operations for the airline, a strike by the flight attendants would cripple Air Canada.
The airline has yet to disclose its contingency plans in the event of a strike, but has said it would operate a partial schedule with the help of its partners. The key areas of dispute are wages, pensions and crew rest, working conditions and work rules.