MONTREAL — The union representing 2,100 flight attendants at Air Transat says workers have voted to approve a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says the flight attendants voted 99.8% in favour of backing the mandate.

Dominic Levasseur, president of the Air Transat component of CUPE, says the next few weeks of negotiations will be critical.

Levasseur says it’s still possible to reach a new contract without resorting to a strike, but the union’s members have high expectations and are extremely motivated.

The collective agreement for the flight attendants based at airports in Montreal and Toronto expired on Oct. 31, 2022.

TRANSAT’S TAKE

Marie-Christine Pouliot, Transat’s Senior Advisor, Public Relations and Marketing Content, told Profession Voyages editor Gary Lawrence that negotiations with the flight attendants began last April and the parties have been in conciliation since October. “Obtaining a strike mandate by the union is a normal process when the parties are in conciliation and it does not necessarily mean that a strike will actually be declared,” said Pouliot.

Any possible strike could come no earlier than January 3, 2024. “We are hopeful of reaching an agreement,” Pouliot told Lawrence. “So far, the tone remains cordial at the negotiating table and discussions are progressing well regarding the parties’ respective demands. Transat maintains excellent working relationships with its employees and CUPE, and intends to make all necessary efforts to find an agreement that will satisfy both parties.”

With file from The Canadian Press