Cabin crew members said no to a tentative contract with Canada’s Air Transat on Tuesday, setting up a possible strike.
The two parties are returning to the negotiating table on Wednesday.
The most recent offer reportedly delivered employees an 18% raise over the next five years. Around 98% of the 2,100 unionized Transat cabin crew workers rejected the deal, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
As for a strike, the union voted to authorize it in November and must give 72 hours notice, which it hasn’t provided.
“We are returning to the bargaining table, and our objective remains to find common ground as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement.
Union members want the new contract to meet the cost of living and compensate cabin crew for time spent on the tarmac awaiting departure.
Most airlines in North America don’t compensate employees for their time not in the air. Delta is the only U.S. airline to do so. Last month, Southwest Airlines pilots rejected a tentative agreement because it didn’t include payment for time on the tarmac.
Many of the largest U.S. airlines, including Delta, American and United, signed contracts with their unions in 2023, delivering massive pay and benefit increases for their workers.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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