Air Canada flight attendants waved flags and held signs reading “would you work for free?” as they picketed outside Toronto’s Pearson International Airport Monday.
The protest is happening outside of the departures level at Terminal 1, airport officials said.
Airport officials warned travellers they may need to give themselves extra time if they’re flying out today.
Air Canada had said its flights would resume Monday, but union leaders representing striking flight attendants say that won’t be happening, and they will continue to strike. The airline’s booking site says both Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights are cancelled until further notice. You can find the latest on the major air travel disruption here.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) said Monday morning that the continuing strike by some 10,000 flight attendants is “unlawful,” and called on the union to direct its members back to work by noon ET.
At a 12:30 p.m. ET news conference, CUPE representatives said their members are not going back to work, and will continue to defy the CIRB order.
Earlier Monday morning, union leadership out on the picket line at Pearson said members will stick together in their fight for a better deal.
“I don’t know who’s going to be working those flights, but it’s not going to be us,” said Lillian Speedie, vice-president of CUPE local 4029, which represents Air Canada flight attendants in Toronto.
The federal government intervened in the labour dispute on Saturday — less than 12 hours after the strike and lockout began — and sent both sides to binding arbitration. That means the airline and flight attendants have been ordered back to work.
But the union defied the federal order by continuing its strike. That resulted in some 240 flights being cancelled Sunday, affecting thousands of passengers, and leaving some stranded around the world.
Stephanie Brown and Rebecca Gregory are among those passengers in Toronto. They’re travelling with five kids, and are trying to get back home to P.E.I.
They said they’ve been unable to reach anyone at Air Canada, and weren’t able to rebook with other airlines. They’ve now booked tickets on a train to Ottawa, and will travel home from there.
“I have another kid at home in P.E.I., and my parents are looking after him so I just feel stressed. I want to get home to see my little boy. And also just a little bit nervous because we’re going to have to fork out a lot of money to pay for our own way home,” said Brown.
Kevin McKay, from Oakville, Ont., is stranded in Portugal.
He and his wife need to get back to Canada to take their son to university, so they’ve paid for flights with another airline, flying via Paris to New York. There, they will rent a car to drive to Buffalo, then get picked up by his son to complete the journey home.
McKay says he empathizes with what the union is asking for, but also thinks it’s being “unfair.”
“Clearly they’re holding us at ransom to get their demands. So it’s just super frustrating.”
Some other stranded customers, like Andrew Perez, place the blame with the company. Perez was supposed to fly home to Toronto from New York early Monday morning, but has now paid out of pocket for another night of “extraordinarily expensive” accommodation, as well as a flight with another airline to Buffalo on Tuesday.
“It is very inconvenient, I am angry, but I don’t point the blame on the flight attendants. For me, it’s the management and I think it’s going to impact the reputation and the business.”
Air Canada passengers in limbo as flight attendants’ strike enters 3rd day
