"Union must get back to work" posted Lisa Raitt, minister of Labour , on Facebook.
Personally, just like many other canadians who use Air Canada, a prevented strike doesnt seem so bad. For many canadians leaning on the right, the idea of a strike is abhorrent. Some people have posted on Facebook comments that sadden me. "Time to pull a Reagan and fire them all. That'll teach them" was the worst comment I read , though there were more but the anger started flowing in my veins...
If this union were striking for a 100,000$ paycheck, a villa in Florida and a life's worth of free champagne and caviar, then OK sure.. fire the ingrates...But Canadians and the media havent really given much thought at the present situation. Instead, a quick conclusion based on emotions, on their dislike or like of unions, was formed.
I dont like strikes, but instead of taking away this right, we're taking away the only power the unions have. New Flight Attendants wont be making more than 20 000$ a year, and many of them are mothers. Beeing a Flight Attendant isnt a student job, for many its a career. So if we can't attract the best and brightest to create a real legacy airline with good wages, where's the real profit?
The argument often repeated to legitimize the "illegality" of the union's right to strike is the economy.
If there were a strike, it wouldnt have lasted so long anyways, and the economy wouldnt crumble. Passengers would find other ways to travel, so the potential losses in revenue wouldn't translate into a recession. Let's not kid ourselves.
If strikes dont appeal to the Conservatives, then they can easily find a way to force the company to accept the union's demands to avoid the strike, instead of punishing the employees by taking away their bargaining rights.
I would like Lisa Raitt to prove to us, by giving us our right to strike back, that she and her fellow MPs are not muffling our voices just for a free ticket back home.
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