Air Canada Braces for Spring Break Strike

Air Canda strike | BCBusiness
Air Canada could find itself with 8,600 workers on strike during March Break.

The airline is hoping to avoid a strike during the busy March Break when thousands of families leave for vacations.

Air Canada is in the headlines again today with a new potential strike on their hands.
 
The airline’s largest union representing 8,600 baggage handlers, mechanics and cargo agents has threatened to strike next week – at 12:01 a.m. on March 12, to be exact.
 
The strike deadline comes during March Break, one of the busiest travel times of the year. As families across Canada leave for their vacations, many worry they could be stranded without a way home if the airline strikes.
 
The strike comes as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers rejected a tentative four-year deal in late February by a two-thirds majority. Union members, who took cuts during the fiscally tight years after the 2009 financial crisis, hoped to regain more ground during this round of contract negotiations.
 
And to gain that ground, the workers timed their strike during at the most inconvenient time possible.
 
But all is not lost for fearful spring breakers. Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt has hinted she might intervene to prevent any service disruption. Should the union make good on its promise, she’ll most likely make good on hers.