Globe: Flying into the two-tier wage world
AirCanada is having labour problems. After unions representing their flight attendants failed to secure a ratified vote on (a second) agreed upon deals with the airline, the attendants were ready to walk. Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to review stalled contract talks at the airline. In so doing, she
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There's a difference between "essential service" and just plain "It's inconvenient when they strike". I frankly don't think they provide an essential service, since we have alternate carriers and alternate modes of transportation in this country. They're not like fireman, where there are no other alternatives for service and the lack of that service can be deadly.
You ask (I think jokingly) how we pick which flights are required. I'll answer seriously: If a destination is serviced by another carrier, let the flight attendants strike and let Air Canada's management deal with the headache themselves. I imagine the majority of Air Canada's business is to major centers anyway, so Iqaluit won't be affected, but Toronto will be. I doubt there would be a lot of picket lines in Iqaluit anyway.
The Tories won't go for it thought, because the real reason they're forcing them back to work has nothing to do with "the good of the country", it's anti-unionism, plain and simple.
Having said all that, the fact that they're not essential doesn't mean they shouldn't be paid a decent wage. Setting up an alternate carrier and paying the attendants less money for work you've already contracted is just plain dirty pool.
Why do we need unions? Because without them all the gains of the 20th century will be clawed back.
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