Air Canada, Union Deadlocked Despite Government Plea To Avert Strike

Air Canada and its unionized flight attendants have remained deadlocked despite government pleas for both sides to return to the bargaining table and avoid a strike that could disrupt travel for tens of thousands of passengers, Allison Lampert reported for Reuters.

Air Canada and its low-cost affiliate, Air Canada Rouge, normally carry about 130,000 passengers per day. (Photo: Air Canada Facebook)

Canada’s largest airline said it expected to cancel 500 flights by the end of the day, ahead of the planned Saturday strike, leaving about 100,000 passengers scrambling for alternatives.

Flightradar data showed 30 cancellations as of 5:30 a.m. EDT Friday (0930 GMT). The airline’s 10,000 flight attendants are preparing to walk out shortly before 1 a.m. EDT Saturday over stalled negotiations on higher wages and compensation for unpaid work.

A strike would inflict a blow to Canada’s tourism sector during peak summer travel and test Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government, which Air Canada has asked to intervene and impose arbitration.

Air Canada and its low-cost affiliate, Air Canada Rouge, normally carry about 130,000 passengers per day. The carrier also operates the largest number of U.S.-bound flights of any non-American airline, though recent trade tensions have led to cutbacks.