“We are inviting ALL members to stand in solidarity with your Bargaining Committee, while they bargain, as we continue to push for a fair deal at the table.
We understand that you may have wanted to bid this day off in advance, bargaining is a fluid and evolving process, and this action is in direct response to where things stand at the table.”
Air Canada has expressed willingness to negotiate, stating in an August 5 announcement that it “firmly believes that there is more than enough time to reach such an agreement and avoid disrupting the plans of hundreds of thousands of travellers. The 21-day cool off period expires at 12:01 am Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, August 16, meaning no job action can take place before that time at the earliest.”
Contract talks have been ongoing since the beginning of this year, following the conclusion of a conciliation process without an agreement.
Flight attendants vote for strike mandate
The demonstrations come as Air Canada and CUPE resume negotiations in an effort to avoid a potential strike. Earlier this week, flight attendants voted 99.7% in favour of a strike mandate, allowing them to walk off the job as early as August 16 with 72 hours’ notice.