Labour groups push back as Air Canada strike poised to continue

It could be another chaotic day for travellers as a labour dispute continues between Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants.

Flight attendants with the Montreal-based airline represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees are expected to remain on the picket lines today as a battle against a federal return-to-work order continues.

CUPE says it filed a challenge in Federal Court on Sunday against an order by the Canada Industrial Relations Board that said more than 10,000 flight attendants had to return to work as of 2 p.m. ET that afternoon.

That order came after Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu sent both parties to binding arbitration on Saturday, saying she was intervening in the dispute because of its impact on Canadians and the economy.

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On Sunday, CUPE held demonstrations at major airports in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver, accusing Hajdu of caving to Air Canada’s demands

Air Canada said on Sunday that it would push back its plan to get flights back in the air until Monday evening, even though the union said employees will remain on strike until a “fair, negotiated collective agreement” is reached.

The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, and Air Canada locked out flight attendants about 30 minutes later due to the strike action.

The airline reported roughly 940 flights cancelled Sunday as a result of the work stoppage, and thousands of travellers have been scrambling to salvage their travel plans.

On Monday morning, Air Canada suspended its financial guidance for the third quarter and its full year due to the labour disruption.

The dispute has garnered negative attention from labour groups across Canada who are criticizing the Liberal government’s decision to order flight attendants back to work.

A statement from the Canadian Labour Congress late Sunday evening said the “heads of Canada’s unions” met in an emergency session to stand behind Air Canada’s flight attendants.

The group called Hajdu’s intervention an “unconstitutional attack on workers’ rights” and said Canada’s labour groups were unanimously calling on the federal government to withdraw its intervention.

The statement also said labour unions are ready to “co-ordinate a fight back campaign” and promote and co-ordinate financial contributions to assist with the legal and other costs related to flight attendants’ decision to defy Hajdu’s order.

“The labour movement is united and standing firm, and we will not allow these Charter-protected rights to be trampled upon,” the statement read.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.

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The Canadian Press