Air Canada strike causes journey complications for Minnesotans

Our neighboring nation’s largest airline halted operations early immediately resulting from a flight attendant strike. More than 10,0000 employees walked off the job.

“Some tense moments and non sleeping times because we’re trying to figure out how to get home,” mentioned Micki Smith of Little Canada. 

Smith informed WCCO this week has been a journey headache for her and her husband, who’ve been in Nova Scotia for a marriage. They obtained a textual content from the airline they booked round-trip with, saying their flight from Halifax to Toronto, the place they’re going to catch a connecting flight to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, is canceled and cannot be rebooked.

“When we were in Cape Breton we turned on the news and saw the potential strike, and thought ‘oh no’,” Smith informed WCCO.

That strike was the explanation for its cancelation. On Thursday, Air Canada began to chop weekend flights because the strike loomed, which ended up taking place Saturday morning by practically 10,000 flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. That’s till the Canadian authorities stepped in, forcing them to return to work.

“There was a picket line at the airport,” mentioned Mark Fenton, who arrived to MSP from Toronto on Saturday.

All Air Canada flights departing and arriving from MSP on Saturday had been operated by a regional companion. Those flight attendants aren’t taking a part of the strike as they’re represented by a distinct union. Most vacationers coming to/from Minnesota utilizing the airline say the layovers in Canada are what’s messing up their plans.

“I’ve booked another flight from Minneapolis to Heathrow with an expectation that my Toronto flight has been canceled,” mentioned Fenton.

Something that Smith did too, having to overlook work early subsequent week.

Those flight attendants are asking to be paid for his or her work earlier than and after a flight. Right now, they’re solely paid for takeoff to landing.

WCCO reached out to Air Canada and the union for remark and have not heard again.