Air Canada Flight Attendants Pledge to Defy Latest Back-to-Work Order

Toronto, Canada – 19 August 2025 – Air Canada flight attendants have vowed to defy a fresh back-to-work order from Canada’s labour tribunal, prolonging a strike that has disrupted travel for approximately 500,000 passengers worldwide.

Strike Background

• Number of Striking Workers: ~10,000 flight attendants
• Reason: Demands for higher wages and compensation for unpaid ground work, including boarding assistance
• Impact: Flight cancellations affecting 180 domestic and international destinations

The work stoppage began shortly after midnight on Saturday, with attendants insisting the airline had failed to address their concerns.

Government Intervention

Over the weekend, Federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu invoked a legal provision to halt the strike and compel both sides into binding arbitration.

• The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) subsequently issued an order on Sunday, directing attendants to return to work immediately.
• Despite this, CUPE declared it would ignore the tribunal’s order, forcing Air Canada to retract plans for partial service restoration.

On Monday, CIRB intensified pressure, ordering union members to: “Resume the performance of their duties immediately and refrain from engaging in unlawful strike activities.”

The union had until 12:00 pm local time (1600 GMT) to inform members of this mandate.

Union Response

CUPE president Mark Hancock stressed that a solution must come through negotiation, not legal compulsion: “None of us want to be in defiance of the law, but we will not waver in advocating for those asked to work hours on the ground during flight delays without getting paid a dime.”

Hancock warned: “If Air Canada thinks that planes will be flying this afternoon, they’re sorely mistaken.”

Legal and Political Reactions

• Rafael Gomez, industrial relations expert at the University of Toronto, suggested the union might be on firm legal footing, noting that the provision invoked is intended for long-term strikes, not short-lived disputes.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed disappointment that eight months of negotiations had failed to yield an agreement, emphasising the need for flight attendants to be equitably compensated.

“It is important that they’re compensated equitably, but hundreds of thousands of Canadians and visitors are facing travel uncertainty,” he added.

Wage Dispute

• Air Canada’s offer: Senior flight attendants would earn an average of CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027.
• CUPE’s stance: Offers are below inflation and below market value.

The Business Council of Canada had earlier warned that a work stoppage would exacerbate economic pressures, already heightened by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The strike highlights ongoing tensions between employee compensation expectations and operational continuity in Canada’s largest airline, with no immediate resolution in sight.