Local represents 1,000 flight attendants
Sunwing’s flight attendants gave its union a strong strike mandate with a 94.6 per cent vote in favour on Jan. 26, said the union.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 4055 members gave the bargaining committee the green light to take job action, including a strike. Bargaining resumes on Jan. 26.
“If Sunwing does not agree to further improvements to our collective agreement, there is a risk of turbulence ahead. It is not our first option, but we won’t hesitate to use our strike mandate if need be,” said Mark Brancelj, CUPE Local 4055 president.
Bargaining sessions with the assistance of a mediator are scheduled for Jan. 26 and 27. The vote in favor of a strike mandate took place from Jan. 14 to Jan. 23. The vote included 91.7 per cent of CUPE Local 4055 members, according to the union.
CUPE Local 4055 represents 1,000 flight attendants working at Sunwing’s eight bases: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Winnipeg.
On Dec. 20, the members rejected a tentative agreement reached with the employer. The flight attendants’ collective agreement expired on May 31, 2016.
