Air Canada faces possibility of having to shut down completely
Major airline could be facing imminent extinction
- Air Canada faces a complete shutdown as contract negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,000 flight attendants, have reached an impasse.
- Flight attendants are scheduled to strike at 1 a.m. EST on Saturday, which will be followed by a company-imposed lockout by Air Canada.
- The dispute centres on disagreements over key issues, including pay raises, with CUPE rejecting a proposal for binding arbitration in favour of continued bargaining.
- The industrial action could affect approximately 130,000 passengers daily and potentially leave 25,000 Canadians abroad stranded, with Air Canada already cancelling hundreds of flights.
- Canada's Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has urged both parties to work with federal mediators to achieve a resolution.