The Canadian Autoworkers Union representing 3800 Air Canada customer service and call centre employees issued a 72-hour strike notice Friday night, saying Air Canada's plans are unacceptable and workers are ready to walk off the job.
"We're looking for a fair deal," said Local Union Chairperson Darryl Draeger. "Whereas the company is looking to come back and reduce the workforce and cut our pensions in half."
Draeger said workers could be off the job as soon as Monday and travelers would notice a big difference at the airport terminal.
"You won't have regular agents there that know how to handle irregular operations or know how to move passengers between flights," said Draeger.
Air Canada said it's committed to avoiding a work stoppage. However, if there is a strike flights will not be affected.
"Rest assured that we will continue to operate our regular schedule," said Air Canada in a press release. "Existing bookings will be honoured and future bookings welcomed. We are also implementing a contingency service plan to minimize impact to our customers in the event of a strike."
Air Canada is also asking passengers to check www.aircanada.com for answers to questions and to check-in online 24-hours before scheduled flights.
-With a report from CTV's Jillian Taylor
