Air Canada, flight attendants at impasse with strike looming
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The prospect of a systemwide work stoppage by Air Canada's unionized flight attendants loomed large on Friday with a strike deadline just hours away, despite a government plea for the two sides to return to the bargaining table. Canada's largest carrier has said it expects to cancel 500 flights by the end of the day, ahead of a threatened strike just before 1:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, leaving some 100,000 passengers to find travel alternatives.Air Canada has asked the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney to order both sides into binding arbitration. The Canadian Union of Public Employees , which represents the attendants, said it opposed the move."The mere prospect of ministerial intervention has had a chilling effect on Air Canada's obligation to bargain in good faith," said the union, which made clear in advance that it would reject the idea.FlightAware data showed Air Canada had cancelled 174 flights as of 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday (1700 GMT). A further 94 were delayed.The carrier's 10,000 flight attendants are gearing up to walk off the job over stalled contract talks. The union is demanding higher wages and compensation for unpaid work.A strike would hit Canada's tourism sector during the height of the summer travel season and test Carney. Recording studio owner Robyn Flynn, 38, told Reuters that her Friday afternoon flight from St. John's in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to Montreal had been delayed twice. Despite the inconvenience, she said she backed the attendants."They deserve a salary increase ...and if our flight gets cancelled, I 100% blame Air Canada, not the flight attendants," said Flynn, travelling with her three-year-old daughter.The Canada Labour Code gives Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu the right to ask the country's Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration in the interests of protecting the economy.Although the board is independent, it routinely agrees to request for arbitration once it has studied the matter, a process that can take a few days.The Toronto region Board of Trade called on Ottawa to step in, saying a strike would hurt Canada's global reputation.Under Justin Trudeau, Carney's predecessor, the government intervened quickly last year to head off rail and dock strikes that threatened to cripple the economy."(Ottawa) might decide to use that, but it's not as pressing an economic issue for the country as when the railway or the ports were on strike," said Rafael Gomez, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. "The stakes are not as fraught."In a note, TD Cowen analyst Tom Fitzgerald estimated a three-day strike could cost the airline C$300 million in EBITDA, referring to earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortization.Shares in the airline were trading up by almost 1.50% at 12:45 p.m. ET on Friday on the stock exchange.The dispute hinges on the way airlines compensate flight attendants. Most have traditionally paid them only when planes are in motion.But in their latest contract negotiations, flight attendants in North America have sought compensation for hours worked, including for tasks such as boarding passengers and waiting around the airport before and between flights.Air Canada and its low-cost affiliate Air Canada Rouge normally carry about 130,000 customers a day. Air Canada is also the non-U.S. carrier with the largest number of flights to the U.S., despite recent cutbacks in travel there from Canada due to trade tensions.
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News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Air Canada Halts Operations As Thousands Of Cabin Crew Walk Off In Strike At Major Airports
Air Canada has urged affected passengers not to travel unless they have confirmed tickets on other airlines Air Canada suspended most of its operations on Saturday after more than 10,000 flight attendants went on strike, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers during the busy summer season. The strike began early Saturday morning after the union and airline failed to reach a deal. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the flight attendants, confirmed the work stoppage on social media. This is the first strike by Air Canada flight attendants since 1985. The dispute centres on wages and working conditions. Flight attendants are currently paid only when the plane is moving. The union demands compensation for time spent on the ground between flights and while helping passengers board. Air Canada had offered a 38% total pay increase over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year, but the union says this offer falls short. Hundreds of striking employees formed picket lines outside major Canadian airports, including Toronto Pearson, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. The airline said it suspended the majority of its 700 daily flights, affecting about 130,000 passengers each day. Flights operated by regional affiliates like Air Canada Jazz and PAL Airlines continued as usual. The strike comes amid a bitter contract fight. The union rejected Air Canada's request for government-imposed arbitration, which would have removed their right to strike and allowed a third party to set contract terms. Air Canada has urged affected passengers not to travel unless they have confirmed tickets on other airlines. The airline is also asking the Canadian government to intervene, but the union insists on a negotiated settlement. Canada's Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has urged both sides to return to talks. The Canada Labour Code allows the government to impose binding arbitration if needed to protect the economy. Analysts warn the strike could damage Air Canada's finances in its most critical quarter. They urge both sides to find a peaceful resolution to avoid prolonged disruption. The strike not only affects Canadian travellers but also has wider implications, as Air Canada is the busiest foreign airline serving the US market by scheduled flights. (With inputs from agencies) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Air Canada flight attendants walk off job, picket lines set up at airports
The strike, which started just before 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT), had forced Canada's largest airline to suspend the majority of its 700 daily flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers who were forced to find alternative flights or stay put.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
130,000 stranded daily: How Air Canada's pay dispute is wrecking summer travel
Synopsis Air Canada has halted all flights after more than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday, stranding about 130,000 passengers each day during peak summer travel. The strike, led by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, follows months of deadlocked negotiations over pay and unpaid duties. The shutdown has disrupted flights to India and beyond, leaving many travellers facing cancelled trips and soaring rebooking costs. Refunds are being offered, but alternatives are limited as planes across the industry remain full. AP Air Canada planes sit on the runway at Pearson International Airport as flight attendants go on strike in Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP) Air Canada has suspended all operations after over 10,000 flight attendants began strike action just after 1 am EDT on Saturday. The airline said it would halt flights across its mainline services and its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge, and advised passengers not to go to airports unless rebooked. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the walkout, saying it followed failed efforts to secure a deal. 'We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike,' Pouliot said, adding that Air Canada had not responded to the union's two most recent proposals since Tuesday. By Friday night, 623 flights had already been cancelled, affecting more than 100,000 people, according to figures cited by AFP. The airline operates around 700 flights daily, and the shutdown is now impacting roughly 130,000 passengers each day, including an estimated 25,000 Canadians strike escalated after CUPE refused Air Canada's request to enter government-directed arbitration, a move that would have removed its right to strike and handed the decision to a Canada argued its offer of a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including benefits and pensions, 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' A senior flight attendant, under this plan, would earn about C$87,000 by 2027. The union, however, rejected the deal, calling it 'below inflation and below market value.' CUPE is also demanding pay for ground duties such as boarding, which remain unpaid. The practice is common in the airline industry, but union leaders argue it is Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met both sides late Friday and urged them to break the stalemate. 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' she said in a Business Council of Canada has pressed the government to impose binding arbitration. Its chief executive, Goldy Hyder, warned: '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.'The standoff mirrors government intervention in 2023, when Canada's two largest railroads were forced into arbitration during a strike, a decision now being legally challenged by the railway strike has left thousands scrambling for alternatives. Canada's geography adds to the strain: in a country of vast distances, flying is often the only resident Alex Laroche, 21, said he and his girlfriend had saved since Christmas for an $8,000 European holiday. With non-refundable bookings and a Saturday night flight to Nice at stake, their plans now hang in the balance. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' Laroche told admitted he was initially frustrated with the strike but changed his view after learning more about the wage dispute. 'Their wage is barely livable,' he Canada says affected passengers can apply for full refunds via its website or app. It has promised to arrange alternative flights with other carriers when possible, though it cautioned that 'due to the summer travel peak' many seats are already sold said he considered booking with another airline, but prices had soared. 'Most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 we paid for our original tickets.'The disruption has reached India-bound services, with direct flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to New Delhi cancelled. Connecting services from Calgary via London were also agents say some relief may come through Air Canada's membership in the Star Alliance, which includes Air India. 'They are being moved to other routes, they will be protected by arrangements with other airlines. But some impact will be there,' said Vibhor Chhabra, director of Toronto-based Grand before the strike officially began, Air Canada had started cancelling long-haul services. In a post on Thursday, it said the union had rejected a temporary agreement to allow stranded passengers to return from overseas. 'As a result, 25,000 additional passengers are going to be stranded abroad,' the airline Canada normally runs daily flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kochi from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Canada's chief operating officer Mark Nasr has warned that even once a deal is reached, it could take up to a week to restore full operations. With a fleet of 259 aircraft and flights to 180 cities across 64 countries, the impact of the shutdown is experts believe neither side can afford a long stoppage. Rafael Gomez, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for Industrial Relations, told AFP that while unpaid pre-flight work is a common issue worldwide, CUPE has effectively presented it as one of fairness. He added, 'That's a very good issue to highlight.'He also suggested the strike would not last long. 'This is peak season. The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They're almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.'For now, passengers remain caught in the middle, their plans upended and their patience tested, as one of the busiest travel seasons in years grinds to a halt.
