Air Canada Flight Attendants Issue 72-hour Strike Ultimatum Over Pay Deal

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing more than 10,000 Air Canada cabin crew have given the airline a 72-hour deadline to reach a pay deal or face a strike.

The ultimatum, which was issued on Wednesday, came hours after the carrier sought federal government’s intervention.

A Reuters report said the strike is set to begin at about 1 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Earlier this month, 99.7% of employees represented by the union voted for a strike.

The airline, which has warned of potential flight disruptions, declared a deadlock in negotiations on Tuesday, after the union rejected its proposal for binding arbitration.

The carrier had offered a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year.

However, the union said the offer was “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage – and still leaves flight attendants unpaid for all hours of work”, according to Reuters.

Most airlines pay cabin crew only for time spent in flight, but flight attendants in North America seek pay for all hours worked, including boarding and waiting at airports before and between flights.

The airline had issued a lockout notice to employees on Wednesday, which would start 32 minutes after the strike began.