«إير كندا» في أزمة.. المضيفون يتحدون أمر الحكومة ويواصلون الإضراب

Air Canada flights continued to be grounded this morning (Monday), after striking flight attendants rejected a government-backed order to return to work, demanding that the company return to the negotiating table.

The airline, which typically transports 130,000 passengers daily and is part of the global Star Alliance, had planned to gradually resume operations last night (Sunday) after the Labor Relations Board issued an order for the union to return to work and begin binding arbitration.

The union rejected this order, leading to an almost unprecedented confrontation with the Canadian government, which requested the order to return to work.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada, is seeking a negotiated solution, believing that binding arbitration would relieve pressure on the company.

The flight attendants are striking to demand better wages and to settle the issue of pay for ground work, such as boarding passengers, for which they currently receive no pay unless the plane is in the air. This issue has garnered significant public support across social media in Canada.

The union has called on Air Canada to return to negotiations for a fair settlement, describing the order to end the strike as unconstitutional.

For its part, the company announced a postponement of its plans to resume operations from Sunday to Monday evening, describing the union's stance as an illegal challenge to the Labor Relations Board's decision.

The Canadian government now faces limited options to end the strike, including seeking court intervention to enforce the order to return to work, or pursuing an urgent hearing.

The minority government may also attempt to pass legislation that would require support from competing political parties and approval from both houses of Parliament, which are on recess until September 15.

Dionne Beaulieu, a conflict resolution professor at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, explained that the government would be cautious about using harsh measures, as the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that care must be taken when restricting the right to strike, even for public sector workers deemed essential.

She added that one option is to encourage negotiations, and the government has not responded to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, a U.S. judge upheld a decision blocking President Donald Trump's plan to purchase federal employee contracts.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney's liberal government moved to end the strike by requesting the Canadian Labor Relations Board to impose binding arbitration, which was supported by Air Canada and rejected by the union.

The union's rejection of this order is a rare precedent in the application of the rules known as Section 107 of the Canadian Labor Code.

Travelers at Toronto Pearson International Airport expressed their frustration and confusion over when their flights would resume during the weekend.

The disputes between the flight crews and Air Canada center around how attendants are compensated, as traditionally the company only pays when the plane is in the air.

In recent negotiations, flight attendants in Canada and the United States have demanded pay for all hours worked, including tasks such as boarding passengers.

In the United States, new labor agreements at companies like American Airlines and Alaska Airlines require wages to start being calculated when passengers board, while American Airlines attendants are now also compensated for some hours between flights.

United Airlines crews also rejected a preliminary agreement last month, demanding similar provisions.