MONTREAL, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Air Canada flight attendants have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike mandate, clearing the way for a walkout on Sept. 21.
About 98 percent of 6,800 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Air Canada section voted in favor of walking off the job if a contract can't be ratified by Sept. 21, the Globe and Mail reported.
Members had 10 days to vote and results were announced Tuesday by the union.
Jeff Taylor, president of CUPE's Air Canada component, issued a statement calling for stepped-up negotiations.
"A strike vote does not mean we will necessarily go on strike, but it means we will strike if we need to. What we want and still hope for is a negotiated deal with the company," he said.
A federal mediator is overseeing talks between the airline and union this week, the report said.
Last month, union members rejected an offer of wage and benefit increases and the airline's plan to launch a new low-cost carrier that would require flight attendants to work for less pay. However, union members backed down on a longstanding demand that new employees get the same pension plan as existing employees, the Financial Post said.
