Union lashes out at Air Canada over latest round of job cuts

TORONTO — The union that represents Air Canada’s 5,700 flight attendants is accusing the airline of spoiling for a fight with its latest round of job cuts.

Paul Moist, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, says Air Canada is engaging in bullying tactics with just five months to go before its contract expires at the end of June.

Faced with declining demand for travel, the airline says it will cut another 345 jobs, mostly among its 5,700 flight attendants, beginning March 2.

As part of the downsizing, the airline says it will have one less flight attendant in business-class cabins on transatlantic flights.

Moist says while the airline eliminated 2,000 jobs in June due to sky-high fuel costs, the price of oil has since fallen dramatically.

He says the airline is setting the stage for “confrontation and disruption,” and the union intends to respond in kind.

“Air Canada managers seem to be setting the stage for confrontation and disruption around bargaining,” Moist said in a statement.

“Our union will respond to these bullying tactics.”

As demand declines, Air Canada is also trimming the number of flights on some routes, and using smaller aircraft on others.

Air Canada currently employs about 26,600 workers across the country.