Anger, frustration at Winnipeg picket lines as flight attendants ordered back to work

Frustration and shock in the Winnipeg picket lines, as the federal government announced today they’re invoking binding arbitration, ordering Air Canada flight attendants back to work.

Local flight attendants say they are angry and saddened, feeling that their voices have been taken away.

“Politicians are always there for the people during election time, but once they’re in office, I guess it’s big corporation time,” said Shannon Marion, an Air Canada flight attendant.

“I was so excited about, wow, I think the landscape is changing.  I said it this morning, the people have the voice now, this is what’s going to prevail over other labour disputes, maybe, this is history in the making.  What I realized is that they gave us a few hours of it, you know, ride the high, and then took it away from us.”

Federal NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre Leah Gazan was on hand, showing support for union members.

“I’m here to say, shame on Patty Hajdu, shame on Mark Carney,” said Leah Gazan, the NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre.

“I’m here to ask Canadians to stand in solidarity with workers from coast to coast to coast to let this government know that if he wants to talk about national interest, he needs to put workers first.”

Meanwhile, inside the terminal, Air Canada customers were busy trying to navigate cancelled travel plans.

“We actually have flights booked for our kid first thing tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m., on a WestJet flight, not Air Canada, so they’re coming home,” said Michelle, whose daughter is stranded in Montreal due to cancellations.

She tells City News that she’s been trying to get her daughter home for days because of the strike, but she says she still has mixed feelings about the federal government stepping in to force a return to work.

“I do really feel for the Air Canada employees, to me it’s disgusting,” said Michelle.

Marion added, “You never get a fair deal with binding arbitration; they know that, we know that, but Air Canada didn’t come to the table, they didn’t come to the table for one reason only, they knew this was happening.”

Union members outside the Winnipeg airport say that as of Saturday afternoon, they are still in legal strike position despite the announcement, and until they are told otherwise by the union board, they plan to be right back on the picket lines Sunday morning.