Two possible class-action lawsuits by Air Canada passengers affected by the airline’s flight attendant strike were submitted in court in Montreal Monday.
Both Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are named as defendants in the legal motions.
One of those potential lawsuits suggests Air Canada broke the law by not providing a reservation for a “next available flight” or “alternate travel arrangements” to a customer who had her flight cancelled.
The plaintiff, a Montreal resident, alleges her Aug. 17 flight to Grenada was cancelled and she was forced to pay $509 to fly out with a competing carrier days later – when she says Air Canada should have offered her an earlier option.
“Air Canada misled the class members and provided them with inaccurate information in order to convince them to accept a refund,” the document reads.
The second possible class action targets CUPE, the union that represents the workers who went on strike. In it, a resident of Brossard claims a cancelled family vacation to Mexico on Aug. 18 caused “significant harm” including “anxiety, disappointment, and sadness.”
CUPE tells CityNews it’s the airline – not the union – that should be targeted by frustrated customers.
“Air Canada has obligations to its customers and if they are not fulfilling them, Air Canada should be held accountable for this, not the union. We stand in solidarity with passengers whose rights are being violated, just as ours were,” said Nathalie Garceau, a senior officer with CUPE’s communication branch.
More coming.
