Originally Posted by Taeolas (Post 10468444)

While AC is a dominant airline in Canada, it doesn't have anywhere near a monopoly. As long as Westjet and Porter and other smaller airlines can fill in the gaps, the Feds aren't likely to be eager to step in, at least not to start. Let the corps work things out.

Originally Posted by Sunnybrae (Post 10468609)

It's interesting to see the reaction of the public to how flight attendants are paid. It's not uncommon in the industry. Westjet does the same. Wheels up to wheels down. Wasn't an issue in the last contract talks or the one before that. They agreed when they took the job and signed the contract. Why the pity party from the public? Oh yah, union spin. If that's what they want this time, fine, but this is not new. No one was ignorant about it when they were hired.

I know of truckers that get paid by the mile. Not for gassing up or loading and unloading or maintenance. They knew that when they took the job. Otherwise, don't take the job.

Originally Posted by whatnext (Post 10468829)

On your last flight did you realize that cabin crew aren’t getting paid when they greet you, direct to your seat or help you stow overhead baggage? Why should they not be paid for that? Its work, not leisure time!

Do you show up for work at 9:00 am and work for a hour without expecting to be paid?

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone (Post 10468789)

AC doesn’t have a monopoly, but they have a HUGE chunk of the pie. WS and PD can’t backfill that, especially not in mid-August, which is still peak travel season, with all flights close to full.

No airline has spare aircraft on the ground in August. They’re all flying and earning revenue.

If this strike had happened in November or mid-January, it would be a different story, but right now, there is not much WS, TS or PD can do, except gouge people on some of the last empty seats they have this week. I’m hearing prices have increased 6x fold to some destinations.

Originally Posted by Sunnybrae (Post 10468987)

On my last flight I knew they were being paid from wheels up to wheels down. It's in the contract they agreed to and signed. What other things they are paid or not paid for is of no concern to me.

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory (Post 10469191)

If you can even find seats to begin. Almost every route that WS overlaps with AC out of YYC is sold out for days. Seems even every flight to Europe is also sold out too. (With limited seats to KEF and Asia).

Originally Posted by hehehe (Post 10469364)

Obviously no one knows what will happen and if a strike will even occur, but a relative is flying BNE-YVR and back, leaves on the 25th (so the outbound YVR-BNE leaves 11PM on the 23rd). I'm hoping it'll be over by then (but I have a feeling we'll see an eleventh hour agreement like last year with the pilots)

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone (Post 10469374)

Didn’t go this far with the pilots…

I dont know, I’m holding out hope as well, but time is quickly running out, and the damage has already been done. Hundreds of flights have already been canceled, and tens of thousands of ppl have been affected. This has already cost AC a lot of money, and they haven’t even signed a new agreement yet….

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory (Post 10469446)

Well… second summer in a row with a major airline going on strike. And with more groups contracts coming up in the next few months, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Originally Posted by whatnext (Post 10469505)

This is a big failure for the Liberal government. The general public seems generally supportive of flight attendants being paid when they start working not when the doors close. Aviation and labour are federal responsibilities. They could have introduced legislation requiring airlines to pay for that time.

Originally Posted by whatnext (Post 10469505)

This is a big failure for the Liberal government. The general public seems generally supportive of flight attendants being paid when they start working not when the doors close. Aviation and labour are federal responsibilities. They could have introduced legislation requiring airlines to pay for that time.

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone (Post 10469539)

The airline industry is already heavily regulated. It doesn't need one more regulation, especially one that is becoming standard across the industry. AC is on record as already having offered boarding pay. So it's a guarantee that will be part of the next agreement.

This is not government failure. The government is doing what it should be doing: nothing, except to push AC and CUPE to come to an agreement as quickly as possible.

The right to strike is a constitutionally protected right. There is no government failure here. The failure lies in the hands of AC and CUPE, for not coming to terms earlier.

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer (Post 10469527)

The public response does not take into account the higher airfares that the change would cause. Legislation would address the pay issue, but leave Canadian airlines at a competitive disadvantage. Somehow the pay mechanism needs to become the standard among all airlines.

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory (Post 10469551)

This is honestly a disgusting move by the feds. It sets a precedent that the airlines don’t have to bargain in good faith and the government will bail them out.

Originally Posted by whatnext (Post 10469558)

C’est la vie. Air travel is too cheap anyway. That’s why we’re seeing mass tourism protests around the world.

Porter must be shitting bricks now that their flight attendants have signed on to the same union as AC. They’ll be expected to adopt a similar contract.

Originally Posted by whatnext (Post 10469505)

This is a big failure for the Liberal government. The general public seems generally supportive of flight attendants being paid when they start working not when the doors close. Aviation and labour are federal responsibilities. They could have introduced legislation requiring airlines to pay for that time.

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone (Post 10469565)

As of Jan 1 of this year, PD flight attendants already get boarding pay, at 50% pay, for 30 minutes.

AC offered something similar (50%), but don't know if its time limited.

To my knowledge, Pascan is the only other carrier in Canada that offers boarding pay, since 2022. Full pay (100%), for one full hour.