TORONTO — More than 800 workers responsible for the cooking, packing and delivery of meals, snacks and beverages for inflight service on major airlines such as Air Canada and WestJet have gone on strike, lobbying for improved wages and safety precautions, reports the Toronto Star.
The strike went into effect on Tuesday after Gate Gourmet’s workers voted to reject a final offer from the company.
Air Canada has a contingency plan in place, the airline’s vice-president of Communications, Christophe Hennebelle, told Toronto Star. International flights won’t be affected. The strike will impact some North-American flights leaving and returning to Toronto, but will most heavily impact short-haul flights.
For WestJet flights, the airline is advising that some routes to and from Pearson, specifically flights on Boeing 737 planes, may have inconsistent food or beverage. However, the airline will provide either “alternative options” or food vouchers for those eligible for in-flight meals and travellers on transatlantic flights, according to a release.
Teamsters, the union representing the Gate Gourmet workers, said United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, Air India, Aeromexico, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and Canada Jetlines could also be impacted by the potential strike.
