Canadian government moves to end Air Canada strike

USA Today

3 hours ago

The Canadian government wants an arbitrator to end a strike by Air Canada's flight attendants.
Most Air Canada flights were grounded Saturday, Aug. 16, as the carrier's flight attendants began an indefinite strike. According to FlightAware, 86% of Air Canada's Saturday schedule had been canceled, as well as 96% of Air Canada Rouge's schedule as of 9:20 a.m. ET.
To end the strike, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said she had directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration on both sides. The board will extend the airline and attendants' current collective agreement until an arbitrator determines a new one, she said, in a statement issued Saturday afternoon, Aug. 16.
"I have exercised my authorities under Section 107 of the Canadian Labor Code to direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order the parties to resume and continue their operations and duties in order to secure industrial peace and protect the interests of Canada, Canadians and the economy," she said.
Air Canada had no immediate comment about Hajdu's decision, saying "it is premature to comment as the CIRB process is underway."
Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesperson Hugh Pouliot told Reuters the strike will end only when the CIRB issues binding arbitration notice to the parties, which could take a few days.
However, the flight attendant's group decried the government's move as giving Air Canada "exactly what they wanted," in a statement posted on X.
"Air Canada should come and join us in good faith and address the matters that really resonate with our members,' said Henly Larden, an Air Canada flight attendant and a vice-president at CUPE, who spoke to Reuters in a shaken voice at Vancouver airport.
Air Canada prepped for strike ahead of walkout
The airline began winding down its operations on Aug. 13 in preparation for the walk-off and warned in a statement that it expects about 130,000 passengers worldwide to be affected each day of the strike.
Flight attendants walked off the job after their union negotiators reached an impasse with the airline management over wages and compensation.
Air Canada is offering a waiver to passengers whose flights might be affected, allowing travelers who booked their flight by Aug. 14 to move their tickets to travel between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 without paying a fee or fare difference. More information about the waiver is available on Air Canada's website.
AirAdvisor, a consumer airline refund website, suggests that as the strike would impact roughly as 27,000 U.S passengers per day.
While Air Canada is not a major carrier within the U.S., it is a key link across the border and a popular choice for connecting flights to Europe and Asia for American travelers.
According to AirAdvisor, Air Canada has up to 135 flights a day from the U.S. to its hubs in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, with New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami seeing the most service. The airline operates some flights from the U.S. to other non-hub destinations in Canada as well.
Flights operated by Air Canada's regional partners, Jazz and PAL, would operate during the strike.
The airline warned that it is trying to get passengers reaccommodated on other carriers, but that seat availability is limited.
"Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and they will be eligible for a full refund, which can be obtained online at www.aircanada.com or through the Air Canada mobile app. The company has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers alternative travel options to the extent possible," Air Canada's statement said. "Customers will be notified of alternative travel options that are identified for them. However, given other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel peak, securing such capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible."
As a major United Airlines partner, thanks to both carriers' membership in the Star Alliance, United Airlines is likely to see the most overflow for rebookings among carriers in the U.S.
What is Air Canada?
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline in Canada. As a member of Star Alliance, its partners include United Airlines, Lufthansa, All Nippon Airways and a number of other global carriers.
How big is Air Canada in the US?
Air Canada is the biggest airline connecting Canadian markets to U.S. destinations, and also a major option for those looking to connect from the U.S. to Europe or Asia.
'What makes this strike particularly disruptive is its timing and scope. We're in the peak summer travel window, when planes are already running at 85-90% capacity and last-minute alternatives are scarce," Anton Radchenko, AirAdvisor's founder, said in a statement. "Air Canada isn't just another carrier; it's the primary connector between the US and Canada, handling thousands of passengers daily across leisure, business, and essential travel. When its network seizes up, the ripple effect touches every major US hub, from JFK and LAX to Seattle and Miami."
He said northern U.S. airline hubs are likely to see increased traffic as Air Canada passengers to and from overseas destinations get rebooked through American markets. U.S. passengers heading to Europe via Toronto or Montreal, or to Asia via Vancouver, are also likely to encounter issues during the strike.
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY; Reuters.
(This story was updated to add new information.)