Air Transat flight attendants reject tentative deal, may strike on July 8
MONTREAL The union representing 1,750 Air Transat flight attendants says workers have voted 93 per cent against a tentative agreement reached in early June, setting the stage for potential labour disruptions.
The Air Transat Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees is calling for an immediate resumption of talks.
The president and general manager of the Montreal-based company later said they would be “heading back to the bargaining table beginning this weekend to quickly find common ground.”
Jean-Francois Lemay said the tour and airline operator has tabled a “reasonable agreement” that had been approved by the union executive and he was confident “most flight attendants would be persuaded that it was a good deal.
“We are therefore disappointed that this has not proved to be the case,” Lemay said.
Flight attendants voted almost unanimously on June 1 in favour of a strike mandate, before the tentative agreement was reached. The union said workers will launch pressure tactics, possibly including a strike, if no new deal is reached July 8. Union president Martyn Smith said the company wants to substantially increase employee workloads. While on-board crews agreed to concessions in the past, Smith says workers want to be “treated fairly” now that Air Transat is doing better financially.
A federal mediator was appointed when talks deadlocked in March after six months of negotiations. The previous contract expired Oct. 31.
Lemay said in a statement that Air Transat “has consistently maintained positive, constructive labour relations with its personnel for nearly 30 years.”