CUPE responds after Labour Board declares Air Canada flight attendant strike illegal: 'If it means…going to jail, then so be it'

Union leadership said it will continue to support flight attendants on picket lines across the country after the Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the ongoing strike by about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants unlawful and ordered union leadership to direct members to return to work.

During a press conference held Monday from Mississauga, Ont., CUPE national president Mark Hancock said the union would not back down.

“We will not turn our back on these workers,” he said. “We will do whatever it takes to get them a collective agreement (so) that they can vote on it.”

Hancock said the union will continue to

support flight attendants

on picket lines across the country.

“We’re going to stay strong,” he said. “And if it means folks like me going to jail, then so be it. If it means our union being fined, then so be it.

“Our members want a solution here, but that solution has to be found at a bargaining table.”

Hancock argued the right to strike is a fundamental right protected under the Canadian charter.

“It is an essential part of collective bargaining and for workers to have a say in their collective future. These rights have to mean something,” he said. “Real negotiations cannot happen if only one side is banking on the government taking away the rights of another party, and that is what has happened here.”

The union remains committed to finding a deal, Hancock said.

“We welcome any assistance that helps us find a way to reach a freely negotiated collective agreement– an agreement that our members can ratify,” he said. “We will not resolve this by taking away the rights of workers who are already struggling to make ends meet.”

The press conference came after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board declared that CUPE’s strike is unlawful.

In a statement issued Monday, Air Canada said the board had ordered union officials to direct its member to return to work.

In its ruling, the board ordered CUPE officials to “immediately cease all activities that declare or authorize an unlawful strike of its members and to direct the members of the bargaining unit to resume the performance of their duties.”

The ruling ordered union officials to provide written notice to all members by 12:00 pm EDT on Monday that all members must resume their duties.

Air Canada had planned to resume operations of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights on Sunday after those flights were grounded on Saturday due to the labour disruption, but the airline said it was not able to resume operations due to “CUPE leadership’s unlawful strike activities.”

The airline estimates 500,000 customers have

had flights cancelled

as a result of the strike.

“Air Canada regrets this impact on its customers and is fully committed to returning to service as soon as possible,” the airline said.

More to come…