Air Canada Flights Grounded as Government Intervenes in Strike

AFP/APP

Toronto, Canada: All Air Canada planes remained grounded late Saturday, despite a federal government intervention aimed at ending a strike by cabin crew members that has already cancelled hundreds of flights and caused widespread travel disruptions during the busy summer season.

Canada’s largest airline which serves 130,000 passengers daily and flies to 180 cities worldwide announced that all its mainline flights would remain cancelled until at least Sunday afternoon, pending a decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Operations were halted after nearly 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job just after midnight on Saturday, launching a strike triggered by a wage and working conditions dispute.

Government Steps In

In response, Labour Minister Patty Hajdu invoked emergency provisions to halt the strike and push both parties Air Canada and the union into binding arbitration.

“This is not a decision that I have taken lightly. The potential for immediate negative impact on Canadians and our economy is simply too great,” Hajdu said at a press conference.

Despite the move, Hajdu warned that it could take five to 10 days for regular operations to resume due to the scale of the disruption.

Air Canada confirmed that flights would stay grounded until the Industrial Relations Board makes a formal ruling on the government’s arbitration order.

Passenger Guidance and Refunds

The airline said it is offering full refunds to all customers whose flights have been cancelled. It urged travelers not to go to the airport if they hold tickets for Air Canada or its budget carrier Air Canada Rouge.

However, flights operated by Air Canada Express which are managed by a third-party carrier remain unaffected by the strike.

Union Outraged by Intervention

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the flight attendants, criticized the government’s intervention, saying it undermines collective bargaining.

“Please remember there is only a referral. We are still in a legal position to strike and will continue to do so. We must show the company we are in control of this,” CUPE’s Air Canada branch posted on Facebook.

In a separate statement, the union accused the government of rewarding Air Canada for avoiding fair negotiations, adding:

“This sets a terrible precedent.”

CUPE also raised concerns over a conflict of interest, noting that Maryse Tremblay, chair of the Canada Industrial Relations Board — the body deciding on the strike’s legality — is a former legal counsel for Air Canada.

“Tremblay ruling on whether to end the strike is an almost unthinkable display of conflict-of-interest,” the union wrote.

Dispute Over Unpaid Ground Work

A key issue in the dispute is unpaid ground work — such as duties performed during passenger boarding which flight attendants argue should be compensated.

“It’s common practice, even around the world, to pay flight attendants based on time in the air,” said Rafael Gomez, director of the Centre for Industrial Relations at the University of Toronto. “But an average passenger might assume the attendant helping them during boarding is getting paid — when they’re not.”

Air Canada’s Offer and Economic Impacts

In a statement issued Thursday, Air Canada claimed its latest offer would result in an average salary of CAN$87,000 ($65,000 USD) by 2027 for a senior flight attendant.

CUPE rejected the proposal, calling it “below inflation and below market value.” The union has also declined previous government and airline requests to resolve the dispute through arbitration.

The Business Council of Canada warned before the strike that a work stoppage at Air Canada could significantly damage the already fragile economy.

“At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians,” it stated.