Air Transat management has agreed to resume discussions with the union executive following the unfavourable vote by Air Transat flight attendants on the tentative agreement for the renewal of their collective agreement.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced that its 2,100 flight attendant members at Air Transat rejected the agreement in principle reached on December 14.

In general meetings December 20 – 23, they voted 98.1% to refuse it, with a participation rate of 87%.

The insufficiency of salary increases, linked to the cost of living and the stagnation of remuneration in previous years, is the main reason.

The company and union say they now plan to resume negotiations this week, starting today, January 3.

Air Transat noted that there are currently no strike or lock-out notices issued by either party, and say both sides are keen to reach a new agreement quickly.

Julie Lamontagne, Chief People, Sustainability and Communications Officer of Transat, added that the tentative agreement that was presented to members had been approved by the union executive, without restriction, on December 14, and seemed to meet the main interests discussed with CUPE.

“We had reached a tentative agreement negotiated in good faith, which met the interests of both parties,” said Lamontagne. “We are disappointed by this outcome, as we were confident that the tentative agreement would be accepted by the majority of our flight attendants. We are returning to the bargaining table, and our objective remains to find common ground as soon as possible.”

All Air Transat flights are maintained at this time, and the usual terms and conditions apply.

Clients can find the latest details on the Air Transat website, in the Important notices and news section.

Source: Travelweek