Flight Attendants Continue to Protest to Air Canada Over Job Cuts

Flight attendants for Air Canada planned to rally in numerous cities on Monday afternoon in order to influence the carrier to change their decision to close the Halifax and Winnipeg crew bases, which will cut hundreds of jobs. The Canadian Union of Public Employees has 300 members that rallied in the streets of Winnipeg, saying that they have not been persuaded that Air Canada has been losing the large amount of money that they claim to be. On the historic Grand Parade in Halifax, which is located in front of the city hall, another 150 flight attendants protested. Air Canada, as well as many other airlines throughout the industry, have complained of having record losses because of the low passenger demand and continually rising price of fuel.

Lesley Swann, the President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, has said that they don’t see it that way. All of their flight attendants have come away from their flights after seeing that they are full, so the airline needs to show them where they are losing the money, she continued. She thinks that they are taking hold of the crisis and the price of oil to use them for an excuse to close the bases and cut jobs. The total number of flight attendants that will lose their employment is 630 by the time November 1^st comes around as part of the broader streamlining efforts that Air Canada announce in the middle of June for cutting capacity 7% and laying off as many as 2,000 people.

To learn more, go to www.aircanada.com