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 per cent 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 two sides have been in contract talks since the start of the year.
There is some good news for those travelling to and from the North Peace Regional Airport. Flights in and out of Fort St. John are operated by Jazz Aviation.
In an email to CJDC TV News, the airline said, “flight attendants working for the Air Canada Express airlines Jazz and PAL are not affected by these negotiations – and Jazz operates the Air Canada flights from Grande Prairie and Fort St. John.”
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 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 in a statement 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.
It said Tuesday that it believes there is “more than enough time” to reach an agreement.
The cooling-off period would end Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m. ET, which is the earliest the union can go on strike.
With files from the Canadian Press