Flight attendants and Air Canada have reached a preliminary agreement, paving the way for the airline's resumption of operations.
Air Canada Flight Attendant Strike Ends After a Week of Disruption
After a week of disruption that grounded hundreds of flights and stranded over 100,000 passengers, the Air Canada flight attendant strike has come to an end. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced the end of the strike in a Tuesday Facebook post, following a tentative agreement with the airline.
The strike began on Saturday, August 16, 2025, after months of failed negotiations over unpaid work, work rules, and poverty-level wages. Unionized Air Canada flight attendants formed picket lines outside major airports to fight for better pay and working conditions.
The mediator for the negotiations between CUPE and Air Canada in August 2025 was William Kaplan. Prime Minister Mark Carney's government intervened by asking the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to impose binding arbitration to protect the economy. However, the union urged its members to defy the order.
The union argues that the government's intervention undermines free and fair collective bargaining, a right enshrined in Canadian law and upheld by international labor standards. Entry-level Air Canada flight attendants' wages have increased only 10% - $3 per hour - in the past 25 years, while inflation has increased 169% and average full-time wages in Canada have increased 210% during the same period.
Flight attendants are not paid for a significant portion of their time on the job, including performing critical safety checks, attending to onboard medical and safety emergencies, and assisting passengers with boarding and deplaning. The union accuses the government of always intervening in labor disputes to benefit corporate interests.
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau expressed regret and apologized for the impact of the labor disruption on customers. The first flights are scheduled for Tuesday evening, but some flights will be canceled over the next seven to 10 days until the schedule is stabilized. Air Canada will gradually restart its operations on Tuesday, but it may take at least a week to fully restore operations.
The union's protest took place in front of Air Canada headquarters near Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Aug. 17, 2025. It also took place at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.
Meanwhile, former NSA hacker David Kennedy discussed hacking group 'Scattered Spider' targeting airlines ahead of the July 4th weekend, but it's unclear if this incident is related to the Air Canada strike. There's also no mention of any partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue in this context.
As the dust settles, both parties are expected to focus on rebuilding trust and working towards a more equitable solution for all parties involved.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
- Abdominal Fat Accumulation: Causes and Strategies for Reduction
