Air Canada baggage handlers stage strike at Toronto's airport

PanARMENIAN.Net - Air Canada baggage handlers staged a walkout at Toronto's Pearson International Airport early Friday, March 23, causing some flights to be delayed.

According to AP, hundreds of passengers were left in limbo after they had to get off several flights that were already on the tarmac. They were forced to return back to the terminal.

Some passengers began to reboard planes after management took over some of the baggage handling duties and some delayed flights were able to leave the airport.

But many passengers on connecting flights had decided to leave the airport, choosing to stay in local hotels for the night.

Some passengers had said they had no idea where their luggage was, or how they were going to get to their destinations. One passenger described the situation at the airport as "a zoo."

The Canadian government recently passed legislation banning strikes or lockouts at Air Canada, arguing the move was needed to protect the economy.

Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said that there had been an "illegal job action" by a small number of ground crew workers.

Various media reports say about 150 workers are involved in the walkout.

Another Air Canada spokesman, Peter Fitzpatrick, said the job action did not result in any cancellations, although the airport website had displayed seven Air Canada flight delays. Six were to Canadian destinations - St. John's, Newfoundland; Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Vancouver, British Columbia - and one international flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

The sudden work stoppage caused confusion and anger among passengers.