Possible Air Canada strike wouldn’t impact North Peace Regional Airport flights

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Air Canada flight attendants could go on strike later this month, but it wouldn’t affect flights out of the North Peace Regional Airport.

On Tuesday, August 5th, the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) — representing more than 10,000 flight attendants within the national airline — announced its members had voted 99.7 per cent in favour of strike action, if necessary.

Air Canada issued a statement about the vote on August 5th clarifying the strike and negotiations only cover flight attendants working for the company’s main operations and Air Canada Rouge.

“As a reminder, flight attendants working for Jazz and PAL, which operate Air Canada Express flights, are not affected by the negotiations or the strike vote,” the statement reads.

Air Canada Express flights to and from North Peace Regional Airport are all operated by Jazz Aviation, meaning a strike wouldn’t affect flights to and from the North Peace.

The vote is not a guarantee that a strike will happen, but it does mean the union is prepared to strike if it can’t reach an agreement with the company.

Representatives from CUPE said the vote “reflects the deep frustration of flight attendants,” alleging Air Canada has refused to negotiate on issues like unpaid work, work rules and “poverty-level wages.”

“The company would rather drag their feet than negotiate on the things that matter to our members,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE. “Now, flight attendants have had a chance to weigh in and tell the company it’s time to get serious about negotiating.”

Lesosky also said that, under the previous ten-year collective bargaining agreement with employees, Air Canada “has raked in billions in profits,” meaning it “can afford to pay us fairly and without raising prices for the public.”

Air Canada’s statement acknowledged the union’s decision, saying it remains committed to the bargaining process and is eager to resume negotiations, which CUPE suspended during the vote.

“Air Canada is determined to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement that recognizes the contributions of its flight attendants,” the statement reads, “and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company.”

The earliest a possible strike could begin is Saturday, August 16th at 12:01 a.m. eastern time.