In Canada, Air Canada’s flight attendants have rejected the company’s proposal for a binding arbitration process. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) spokesperson Hugh Pouliot stated, “We will be rejecting the proposal. We will not, under any circumstances, surrender our members’ collective bargaining rights.” Pouliot emphasized their opposition to federal government intervention in the process, saying that even if it causes travel disruptions, it is still acceptable.
The union said it has not yet received a response to the latest offer it presented to Air Canada on Tuesday, August 12, and accused the company of “focusing on a work stoppage instead of negotiation.” The lockout is expected to begin on Saturday, August 16, at 8:00 a.m. Turkey time (1:00 a.m. Canada time).
CUPE also announced that later in the day it would release a public poll showing that a majority of Canadians support the flight attendants. Under federal APPR law, passengers must be compensated for any flight delays exceeding three hours before the lockout takes effect.
What is a Lockout?
A lockout is when an employer temporarily closes a workplace or suspends employees in order to exert pressure during collective bargaining negotiations.
In other words, while a strike is when employees stop working, a lockout is when the employer halts work. In this case, as Air Canada’s flight attendants have decided to go on strike, the company is preparing to declare a lockout as a “removal of employees from work” measure after negotiations failed.
