More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike after a deadline to reach a deal passed, the union confirmed early Saturday.
Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike has started after no deal was reached, reports AP. Attendants currently are paid only when planes are in the air; the union seeks compensation for time spent on the ground assisting passengers and during boarding.
Air Canada has said all flights will be cancelled for the duration of the work stoppage. Canada’s largest airline has already cancelled more than 620 flights, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.
A bitter contract fight between Canada’s largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract.
Currently, attendants are only paid when the plane is in the air, and the union seeks compensation for time spent assisting passengers during boarding when the plane is grounded. It is the first strike by cabin crew since 1985.
