Call for messages of solidarity for striking workers at Canadian airline
June 15, 2011
The ITF is urging unions to send messages of solidarity to airline workers in Canada who walked out on strike yesterday after talks over pensions broke down.
Three thousand eight hundred Air Canada employees who work in customer service and sales at 
major airports and call centres, represented by the ITF-affiliated Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), walked out on strike at midnight on 14 June. The action follows the collapse of 10 weeks of negotiation brought about by the company’s refusal to remove major concessionary demands on the existing pension plan.
CAW president Ken Lewenza said: “We’re extremely disappointed that 10 weeks of tough negotiations has not resulted in a new agreement that we can take back to our membership.
“This strike is unfortunate – not only for our members, but also for Air Canada passengers who may be inconvenienced.”
Picket lines are in place at various locations and the CAW has asked union members to respect them. The union stated: “CAW members are being asked not to fly Air Canada during the labour dispute with the company. Air Canada has hired replacement workers to perform the duties of CAW members, in addition to deploying hundreds of managers across the country.”
The CAW and two other Air Canada unions and ITF affiliates – the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) – released a statement calling on the airline to halt its attack on the workers’ pension plan.
Meanwhile, the ITF’s own solidarity message commended the union’s stand. It said: “We in the ITF and its aviation and other member unions trust that the company will respond to your actions and quickly withdraw its plans to threaten the pensions of both existing and future Air Canada personnel.”
To send a message of support visit our solidarity website for Air Canada workers