Jazz flight attendants vote in favour of strike mandate as talks hit impasse

More than 1,000 flight attendants at Jazz Aviation have given their union a strong strike mandate as contract negotiations with the airline reach an impasse, reports the Canadian Press. The Canadian Flight Attendant Union says 99 per cent of voting members backed a strike mandate following months of bargaining with Jazz, which operates flights under the Air Canada Express brand. The flight attendants have been without a contract since Jan. 1, with compensation emerging as a key issue at the bargaining table. Jazz has since confirmed that negotiations have reached an impasse and says it plans to seek the assistance of a conciliation officer as the collective bargaining process continues. Halifax-based Jazz is owned by Chorus Aviation and operates regional flights on behalf of Air Canada under the Air Canada Express banner. While the strike mandate gives the union authorization from its membership to take job action, it does not mean a strike is immediate. The bargaining process must proceed through the required federal labour steps before flight attendants would be in a legal position to strike. Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today! Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.