Air Canada customer service staff return to work
Posted June 17, 2011 8:48 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Air Canada’s customer service agents and sales staff are returning to work, Friday, after the airline and union reached a tentative contract.
The tentative deal includes higher wages for 3,800 front counter employees, but the issue of pensions remains unsettled and will now go to arbitration.
Canadian Auto Workers union president Ken Lewenza said Thursday he is satisfied with the tentative deal.
“We think we have a fair agreement.” he said.
Lewenza also said that the union and Air Canada were close to a deal and there was never a need for back-to-work legislation.
“There should have not been any intervention by government because we could have got an agreement maybe even quicker than today without the intervention of government,” Lewenza said.
He said it was not in the interest of Air Canada employees or customers to drag the strike out.
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt claims the introduction of a back-to-work bill within 24 hours of the strike helped motivate the two sides to settle.
Raitt justified the back-to-work bill, saying the strike could threaten Canada’s fragile economic recovery.
The NDP and Liberals, however, accuse the Harper government of siding with the employer, and interfering with the union’s ability to defend pensions.
