Air Canada has warned that some of its operations will begin to be impacted today due to an escalating labour dispute with its pilots. The airline has urged the federal government to be prepared to intervene to prevent significant disruptions for its daily 110,000 passengers.
The airline reports that services such as cargo and vacation packages will start to experience effects immediately. A complete shutdown could occur as early as September 18.
Starting Sunday, both Air Canada and the pilots will be in a position to issue a 72-hour notice of a strike or lockout. This notice would trigger a three-day wind-down plan, setting the stage for a potential full work stoppage.
Air Canada accuses the union of being inflexible with “unreasonable wage demands,” while the union claims that corporate greed is stalling negotiations, pointing out that Air Canada is posting record profits while offering below-market compensation to pilots.
