Picketers gathered at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Sunday. On Monday, the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) declared the strike by 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants illegal.
The board ruled that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) defied a back-to-work order issued on Sunday. CIRB vice-chairperson Jennifer Webster signed a directive ordering union leaders to send members back by noon Monday. The order also instructed attendants to resume duties immediately and stop unlawful strike activity.
Despite this, CUPE announced it would stay on strike in open defiance of the ruling. The challenge came just hours after Air Canada revealed plans to restart flights. The airline had requested the CIRB’s intervention.
Air Canada suspended its financial guidance for the third quarter and full year on Monday morning. It cited the strike and the shutdown of all flights. The walkout began early Saturday, grounding Canada’s largest airline and halting about 700 daily flights.
Labour Minister Patty Hajdu stepped in on Saturday. She used Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order an end to the strike and asked the CIRB to arbitrate a settlement. The union ignored the directive, and the airline cancelled its planned restart on Sunday.
Air Canada says it will try to resume operations Monday evening. However, uncertainty remains because the union has not backed down.
At the heart of the dispute is pay. The airline has offered a 17.2 per cent raise over four years. The union argues the offer does not reflect inflation and insists attendants deserve fair compensation for pre-flight work.
READ: Air Canada Cancels Flights Ahead of Possible Weekend Strike
