Air Canada has postponed its planned return to operations after a strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants, despite a government order directing staff back to work. The strike, which began early Saturday, led to hundreds of flight cancellations across Canada and disrupted travel for thousands of passengers.
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) issued a directive instructing flight attendants to return to work by 14:00 EDT (18:00 GMT) and extended the collective agreement that expired on 31 March until a new deal is negotiated. However, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Cupe), which represents Air Canada cabin crew, instructed its members to ignore the order. The union criticized the government for “caving to corporate pressure,” highlighting its previous resistance to imposing a forced agreement.
In response, Air Canada announced that it would now aim to resume flights on Monday instead of Sunday. The airline also warned customers that it would take several days to restore normal operations fully. “During this process, some flights will be canceled over the next seven to 10 days until the schedule is stabilized,” the company said. “Air Canada deeply regrets the inconvenience for its customers.”
The strike erupted at 00:58 EDT on Saturday, but Air Canada had begun scaling back its flight operations in anticipation of the walkout. This included suspending flights under its budget brand, Air Canada Rouge. Passengers affected by the strike were advised not to travel to airports unless they had arranged travel with another airline.
Flight attendants picketed major airports, making it challenging for travelers to secure alternative flights in the early days of the strike. The walkout has centered on demands for higher pay and compensation for time spent on the ground, such as boarding passengers and waiting at airports.
Air Canada Delays Flight Resumption as Union Defies Government Order
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu, stressing the importance of preserving “stability and supply chains,” intervened later on Saturday. She invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to mandate binding arbitration between the airline and the union, creating a legally enforceable agreement. Hajdu’s move came after the two sides failed to resolve their differences through negotiation.
Cupe criticized Hajdu’s intervention as a violation of workers’ charter rights, claiming it could inflict “incalculable damage” on employee protections. The union argued that forcing an agreement would merely postpone unresolved issues, allowing them to worsen over time.
Negotiations between Air Canada and Cupe had been ongoing for more than eight months. Air Canada said it offered flight attendants a 38% total compensation increase over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year. Cupe dismissed the proposal as insufficient, describing it as “below inflation, below market value, and below minimum wage,” while still leaving some hours of work uncompensated.
The union emphasized that its members had acted in good faith throughout the negotiations, while Air Canada had instead sought government intervention to resolve the dispute. Earlier this month, nearly all union members—99.7%—voted in favor of striking. Cupe maintains that the airline’s decision to bypass further negotiation undermined their bargaining rights.
Air Canada, which flies to 180 cities worldwide, confirmed that it will begin resuming flights later on Sunday, but warned that full operations will take time to stabilize. The airline emphasized that it is working to minimize disruption for passengers and encouraged travelers to check flight schedules before heading to airports.
The strike has intensified tensions between the airline, its employees, and the government. Cupe has yet to publicly respond to the government directive to end the strike, leaving uncertainty over how quickly flights will resume and whether further disruptions are likely.
As the situation unfolds, Air Canada passengers are being urged to monitor airline updates closely. The dispute highlights broader labor tensions in Canada’s aviation sector, where employees continue to press for fair compensation and recognition of their work during increasingly demanding schedules. The outcome of the arbitration process could have long-term implications for labor relations within the airline industry.
Source- BBC
