It’s back to the bargaining table for union negotiators representing Air Transat flight attendants after members overwhelmingly rejected a tentative contract deal.

The airline’s 2100 flight attendants voted 98.1 percent in favour of rejecting the agreement blaming what the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) calls insufficient salary increases.

John Gradek is an aviation management specialist at McGill University and an occasional guest on Zoomer Radio’s Fight Back with Libby Znaimer.

He sees the situation from the flight attendants’ point of view.

“The airlines are making money and the unions know the airlines are making money finally, and I think the unions now are looking to catch up. (They) gave up a lot within COVID and so the unions are saying it’s time for a catch-up clause and I think they’re going to be very adamant in making sure their membership gets a significant pay increase,” Gradek explains.

Air Transat flight attendants approved a strike mandate in November meaning they could walk off the job if a new contract cannot be reached.

A statement from Air Transat says there are currently no strike or lockout notices issued by either side, and both are keen to reach a new agreement quickly.