Thu, Nov 10, 2011
Labor Board Returns To September 20 Tentative Agreement
A final and binding ruling has been issued by Elizabeth
MacPherson, Chair of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB),
regarding unresolved matters between Air Canada and CUPE, the union
representing the airline's 6,800 flight attendants. Following a
hearing at which both parties were represented, this ruling orders
the implementation of the second tentative agreement reached
September 20, 2011 as the new binding collective agreement between
the airline and its flight attendants.
"Air Canada is pleased with this final and binding decision to
implement the terms of the second tentative agreement that was
reached with CUPE's democratically-elected leadership in
September," Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer, said in a news release on the Air Canada
website. "The implementation of a new collective agreement
with our flight attendants ends a period of uncertainty for our
customers and will allow Air Canada and its employees to move
forward together."
Union leaders were less accepting of the package. Paul Moist,
national president of CUPE, called the decision "profoundly
disappointing," and laid the blame for its failure to fairly
address the needs of flight attendants squarely at the feet of the
Canada's conservative government.
“Flight attendants deserve better than this decision. They
deserve better treatment from Air Canada, and they certainly
deserve better from their federal government,” said Moist in
a news release. “This government has been extremely
irresponsible, and it’s their constant interference in
collective bargaining that tipped the scales in favour of the
company and against hardworking flight attendants.”
The arbitration award imposes the same provisions as the tentative
agreement which was rejected by flight attendants on Oct. 9, 2011.
Under threat of back-to-work legislation and after two unwarranted
referrals to the Canada Industrial Relations Board by Federal
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt, CUPE agreed to binding arbitration with
Air Canada.
“Awarding flight attendants an agreement they rejected a
month ago does not in any way address serious workplace issues and
flight attendants are rightfully disappointed and angry,”
said Moist. “If Air Canada is truly interested in running a
professional and efficient company they must invest in their work
force. This agreement will leave flight attendants exhausted,
frustrated and underpaid.”
Moist said this decision, the contract negotiations and the
heavy-handed, ideologically driven actions of the federal
government serves as a warning for every unionized worker in
Canada – private and public – to prepare for
continued attacks on working people.
“Throughout this entire process one thing was crystal clear:
this Conservative government was ready and willing to interfere on
behalf of the company and against ordinary working
Canadians,” said Moist. “We need to prepare for the
fact that this government is on the side of the employers and is
prepared to act on their behalf. We need to be vigilant in
defending the rights of working people.”
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