Air Canada Strike Ends, Airline Set To Return To Full Speed (from HuffingtonPost.ca)
June 17, 2011
Picket lines are down and travel ease expectations are up Friday as Air Canada customer service and sales staff are set to return to work Friday, a day after a tentative agreement was reached three days into a walkout.
The tentative four-year pact between the airline and the Canadian Auto Workers union representing the 3,800 workers created some slowdowns and delays for travellers, but no major upheavals.
A ratification vote is expected in the next two weeks, although dates haven’t been released yet.
The tentative pact addresses quality of life issues and retains a defined-benefit pension plan for current workers.
CAW union president Ken Lewenza said there would be “very slight modifications” to the existing pension plan, but noted none of those modifications will go into effect until 2013.
However, Lewenza said, the issue of what type of pensions new hires will receive — a sticking point in negotiations — will go to arbitration.
“I want to begin by saying sincerely to future workers at Air Canada, we regret that we were not able to put in our collective agreement your desire to have a defined benefit plan,” Lewenza said Thursday.