SHUMAILA ASLAM
Scandinavian News Agency
Bureau Chief Pakistan
Air Canada’s unionized flight attendants launched a strike early Saturday, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and disrupting travel plans for more than 100,000 passengers. The walkout follows stalled negotiations between the airline and the union representing over 10,000 cabin crew members.
The airline had offered partial pay for previously unpaid ground duties, along with a 38% wage increase over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year. However, the union rejected the proposal, calling it insufficient. Cabin staff are currently paid only while planes are airborne, and the union is demanding pay for boarding, ground assistance, and other duties.
The strike the first by Air Canada cabin crew since 1985 was confirmed on social media at around 1:00 a.m. ET. Analysts at TD Cowen warned that prolonged disruption could hurt the airline more than the cost of a wage deal, given its peak travel season.
Montreal-based Air Canada has already announced plans to cancel up to 500 flights by Friday. Together with its low-cost affiliate, Air Canada Rouge, the airline typically carries about 130,000 passengers daily and operates more US-bound flights than any other foreign carrier.
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