Air Canada and its union reach an agreement, bringing an end to the industrial action
Over the past two years, unions across various Canadian sectors, including aerospace, construction, airline, and rail, have been advocating for higher pay, improved conditions, and better benefits. One of the most notable disputes was the strike by Air Canada's unionized flight attendants, which lasted nearly four days and disrupted travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The strike, which began on August 17, 2025, involved about 10,000 flight attendants affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Despite a government back-to-work order issued within 12 hours of the strike's start, the union remained on strike, defying the order and standing firm on the picket lines despite government pressure and threats of arrest of union leaders.
The dispute centred around unpaid work for flight attendants, with the CUPE aiming to make gains on unpaid work that go beyond recent advances secured by their counterparts at US carriers like American Airlines. The flight attendants had sought pay for time spent on the ground on tasks such as boarding passengers.
The agreement reached between Air Canada and its unionized flight attendants ended the strike. The settlement was a mediated one, overseen by a mutually agreed mediator, William Kaplan. The flight attendants agreed to immediately return to work, allowing Air Canada to gradually resume operations.
However, there is no direct information available from these sources indicating that the agreement resolved or explicitly addressed the issue of unpaid work for flight attendants. The reports focus on the return to work and the end of the strike rather than the precise terms of the agreement about unpaid labor.
The end of the strike has brought relief to many passengers, but it also means a week or more of full restoration of operations for Air Canada, which normally carries approximately 130,000 people daily. Some flights will be cancelled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized. Customers with cancelled flights can choose between a refund, travel credit, or rebooking on another airline.
The strike led to the withdrawal of Air Canada's third-quarter and full-year earnings forecasts. Frustration among customers is growing due to flight cancellations related to the strike. Stories of stranded passengers like James Numfor, a resident of Regina, Saskatchewan, who has been stranded in Toronto for two nights due to the strike, returning from Cameroon for his brother's funeral, and Klaus Hickman, a retiree who missed a flight to Toronto earlier in the week and is concerned about returning to Calgary in time for a connecting flight to Germany, highlight the impact of the strike on the lives of ordinary Canadians.
Jobs minister Patty Hajdu had urged both sides to consider government mediation and promised to investigate allegations of unpaid work in the airline sector. It remains to be seen whether the mediated settlement will lead to a resolution of the long-standing issue of unpaid work for flight attendants.
[1] CBC News. (2025, August 17). Air Canada flight attendants go on strike in dispute over pay, conditions. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-strike-1.6128654
[2] CBC News. (2025, August 20). Air Canada strike ends after tentative deal reached with union. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-strike-ends-deal-1.6132848
[3] Global News. (2025, August 17). Air Canada flight attendants stage strike over pay, benefits, working conditions. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/8782994/air-canada-flight-attendants-strike-pay-benefits-working-conditions/
[4] Global News. (2025, August 20). Air Canada strike ends as union reaches tentative deal. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/8786262/air-canada-strike-ends-tentative-deal/
[5] The Globe and Mail. (2025, August 20). Air Canada strike ends after tentative deal reached with union. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/air-canada-strike-ends-after-tentative-deal-reached-with-union/article39903836/
Read also:
- Spent Two Months Test-Driving a 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, Achieving Fuel Efficiency of 51 MPG with Ease
- Mondelez prioritizes sustainability in its day-to-day business operations, with Kinh Do being no exception.
- Uncover Five Distant Money-Making Opportunities, Ready to Kickstart and delivering a daily earnings of $100 each.
- Alcohol's Impact on the Gallbladder: Exploring the Relationship and Further Facts
