Air Canada flight attendants vote in favour of strike mandate

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MONTREAL — Air Canada flight attendants have voted to give their union a strike mandate.

The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees says members voted 99.7% in favour.

The mandate does not mean that a strike is guaranteed, only that union members support the measure if the bargaining team decides to call for a work stoppage.

The vote kicked off July 28 and finished earlier Tuesday, after the airline and union concluded the conciliation process without reaching a deal.

The two sides have been in contract talks since the start of the year.

The union, which represents around 10,000 flight attendants, has pointed to key outstanding issues including pay, pensions and unpaid work such as pre-flight safety checks.

“The company would rather drag their feet than negotiate on the things that matter to our members,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the union’s Air Canada component, in a statement.

“Now, flight attendants have had a chance to weigh in and tell the company it’s time to get serious about negotiating.”

The airline said it remains committed to the bargaining process and is “eager” to resume discussions.

“Air Canada is determined to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement that recognizes the contributions of its Flight Attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company,” it said on its website.

The airline has cautioned that the vote does not mean a disruption will happen, and noted a potential strike can’t take place until after a 21-day cooling-off period that followed the 60-day conciliation period.

The cooling-off period would end Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m. ET, after which the union can officially provide a 72-hour strike notice any time for the next 60 days.