Some Air Canada flights that were scheduled to take off today will be cancelled as the airline braces for a work stoppage this weekend.
The union that represents around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants is poised to strike just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, as the airline also plans to lock out those workers.
Air Canada says it will begin cancelling flights today, with more disruptions Friday and a complete stoppage by Saturday if it doesn’t reach a last-minute deal with the flight attendants’ union.
It says customers whose flights are cancelled will be eligible for a full refund, and it has also made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide alternative travel options “to the extent possible.”
The airline is expected to provide further details at a news conference with senior airline executives this morning in Toronto.
Air Canada has requested government-directed arbitration, however Ottawa has not indicated whether it will intervene in the dispute. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement today that she has asked the union to respond to the airline’s request and urged both sides to return to the bargaining table.
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