The Society of United Professionals believes that the right to strike is a foundation of our democracy and stands by Air Canada flight attendants who are refusing to comply with the Canada Industrial Relations Board’s order to return to work.
The ability to strike is a charter-protected right and the federal government’s use of a return to work order flies in the face of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan, wherein the SCC found that the right to strike is an “indispensable component” of collective bargaining, and therefore is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The freedom of association, which includes the right to strike, is an important tool for workers during labour disputes. While going on strike is never an easy decision, it is a fundamental right that empowers workers to level the playing field and win fairness in the workplace. In a climate where many Canadian corporations are making unchecked profits and economic inequality is on the rise, this right remains more crucial than ever.
Air Canada flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employers (CUPE), have been unequivocal in the pressing need for change. 99.7 per cent of flight attendants voted in favour of a strike mandate. Flight attendants currently work an average of 35 hours a month unpaid doing tasks essential to airline operations, like pre-flight safety checks and assisting to board elderly passengers, infirm passengers, or parents with small children. And after a 10-year contract that did not keep up with inflation, flight attendants are seeking meaningful improvements to their collective agreement that will not be fairly resolved through binding arbitration.
The federal government’s order to terminate the strike is a clear nod to the employer – and a disservice to workers and our communities which rely on the right to collectively bargain without interference.
The Society is united with Canada’s unions in their support for CUPE flight attendants who are taking action in defence of their collective bargaining rights. We know their fight for their constitutional rights is also a fight for the constitutional rights of our members. We call on the federal government to immediately withdraw the order under s. 107 to end the flight attendants’ legal strike. We further call for the removal of s. 107 from the Canada Labour Code and an immediate cease of it’s use to prevent legal strikes in federally regulated labour disputes.
We pledge our solidarity to CUPE flight attendants. We will stand with CUPE and the labour movement in the face of further attacks on the flight attendants’ right to strike. An attack on one is an attack on us all.
