Save our jobs, flight attendants urge

[Bulldog]

Hundreds of Air Canada flight attendants across the country rallied on Monday to try to save their jobs.

Air Canada plans to cut its flight attendant bases in Halifax and Winnipeg and chop jobs in Vancouver by Nov. 1, eliminating about 600 positions.

In Halifax, about 200 people, many wearing their uniforms, took part in a demonstration at Grand Parade Square. Some carried signs that read, "Halifax Is Open For Business," and "Our Base, Our Home."

Shutting down the base in Halifax means the loss of nearly 200 jobs.

"This decision is going to marginalize and alienate Atlantic Canada, and we can't have that happen," said David Dowett, a flight attendant and vice-president of the CUPE local.

"Air Canada needs to know that we need the same service that Upper Canada and the West get, and this decision will marginalize and alienate all of us."

Flight attendants say some senior employees have been offered jobs in Toronto, but many don't want to go.

In Montreal, about 100 people demonstrated outside the departure lounge of Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport.

"We survived Sept. 11, the integration of Canada's new airlines, the SARS crisis, bankruptcy protection in 2003 and 2004," said Suzanne St-Jean, the head of CUPE's Montreal branch. "The union is of the opinion that these draconian measures could have been avoided."
'The people need us here'

In Winnipeg, where 150 people could lose their jobs, more than 300 people marched down Portage Avenue.

One little girl carried a sign that read, "I Need my Mommy Home in Winnipeg."

Jennifer Miller, a flight attendant for eight years, said Manitobans will suffer if her job is moved.

"The people need us here," said Miller. "We provide great service. There's going to be less flights, you know, they'll get crappy service. They need us."

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer earned cheers from the crowd as he vowed to do everything possible to keep the flight attendants in Winnipeg.

"We are the only airport in Canada that has a 24-hour capacity, and we're also building and building … the air cargo capacity, which in fact helps the revenue bottom line of Air Canada and other airlines," Doer said.

In B.C., hundreds of Air Canada flight attendants and their supporters rallied at Vancouver International Airport.

As many as 300 employees could be laid off this fall.

"Air Canada has to be a good corporate citizen and we haven't seen that over the past couple of years," said Peter Julian, NDP MP for Burnaby-New Westminster, one of the politicians at the rally.

"What we're seeing very clearly is an attempt by Air Canada to downgrade British Columbia and downgrade Vancouver. The federal government can play an important role by saying, 'As a national carrier, Air Canada has a responsibility to all the regions of the country.'"

Air Canada has said it needs to cut jobs because of soaring fuel costs.

Last week, Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn denied the airline's request for an exemption from federal labour law.

Blackburn rejected the company's application to obtain a holiday from some labour rules concerning the creation of layoff committees, forcing the company to set up a committee with its workers to discuss severance and other impacts of the job cuts.

A union leader representing flight attendants in Halifax said the two sides will meet Thursday and Friday.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/07/28/flight-attendants-rallies.html