Striking Air Canada flight attendants have vowed to continue their walkout despite a back-to-work order from Canada’s labour tribunal, while resuming talks with the airline in a bid to resolve the dispute that has disrupted travel for nearly half a million passengers worldwide.
About 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job after midnight Saturday, demanding higher wages and compensation for unpaid ground work, including during boarding. The strike forced Air Canada — which serves 180 cities globally — to cancel hundreds of flights, affecting 130,000 passengers daily.
Over the weekend, Federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu invoked a provision for binding arbitration, with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordering attendants back to work. Air Canada said the tribunal had directed CUPE, the flight attendants’ union, to inform members by noon Monday that they must resume duties.
But CUPE president Mark Hancock rejected the directive, saying: “None of us want to be in defiance of the law, but the solution has to be found at a bargaining table.” He stressed that attendants would not continue to perform ground duties during flight delays without pay.
Later on Monday, CUPE confirmed that talks with Air Canada had resumed in Toronto with mediator William Kaplan, but maintained that the strike remained in effect. “At this time, the strike is still on, and the talks have just commenced,” the union said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the outcome of eight months of failed negotiations as “disappointing,” acknowledging the vital role of flight attendants and calling for fair compensation. “We recognise very much the critical role that flight attendants play in keeping Canadians and their families safe as they travel. It is important that they’re compensated equitably,” he said.
On Thursday, Air Canada disclosed its latest wage offer, stating that by 2027, a senior flight attendant would earn an average of CAN$87,000 ($65,000). CUPE, however, dismissed the proposal as “below inflation and below market value.”
The Business Council of Canada earlier warned that the strike could worsen economic pressures already heightened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
