More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants will continue their strike despite back-to-work orders from the Canadian government, the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said Sunday.
“At this time, you are still on Strike and Locked out! Please remember while we are locked out there is no obligation to be in contact with the employer, no responsibility to check Globe or your work email or to contact them for reassignment or reserve duties,” the union wrote in a committee update.
The decision to remain on strike defies the Canadian Jobs Minister’s decision to intervene using Section 107 of the Canada Labor Code. On Saturday, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu instructed the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order Air Canada and its employees to “resume and continue their operations and duties in order to secure industrial peace and protect the interests of Canada, Canadians and the economy.”
On Saturday, flight attendants were ordered to “resume their duties” by 2 p.m. ET Sunday, according to a statement from the Air Canada component of CUPE. The CUPE said it invited Air Canada back to the negotiating table, “rather than relying on the federal government to do their dirty work for them when bargaining gets a little bit tough.”
Air Canada had requested on Tuesday that the government intervene using the provision, which allows the minister to direct an arbitrator to intervene in the dispute, the CUPE said Friday in a statement.
Air Canada said in a statement that it has canceled 240 flights operating Sunday afternoon because the CUPE “illegally directed its flight attendant members” to defy the return-to-work order.
Air Canada said it will notify customers whose flights are canceled and advised customers not to go to the airport unless they have confirmed flights on other airlines. Air Canada said flights will resume Monday evening.
Members of the Air Canada component of CUPE voted 99.7% in favor of the strike last week and walked out around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. The workers are seeking wage increases and paid compensation for work when planes are grounded.
Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE, said Saturday that the Canadian government was “violating our Charter rights to take job action and give Air Canada exactly what they want – hours and hours of unpaid labour from underpaid flight attendants, while the company pulls in sky-high profits and extraordinary executive compensation.”
Air Canada has said it offered a 38% increase in total compensation over four years and an hourly raise of 12% to 16% in the first year.
Hajdu denied that the Canadian government is anti-union, adding that it was clear Air Canada and union workers were “at an impasse” and “they need some help in arbitrating the final items.”
Air Canada and the Canadian Labor Ministry did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
CNN’s Paula Newton contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional content.
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