Air Canada cancels plans to resume flights Sunday as union defies back-to-work order
The Canadian Union of Public Employees said it will challenge an order by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to return to work by 2 p.m. ET.
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Travellers stuck at Edmonton airport amid Air Canada strike
Air Canada workers are seen striking at the Calgary International Airport on Aug. 17, 2025. (CTV News Calgary) While Air Canada flight attendants continue to strike through the weekend, some travellers are in limbo at the Edmonton International Airport waiting for their flights to get rebooked. The airline said flights would resume Sunday afternoon after a federal government return-to-work order was issued, but the Air Canada component of CUPE said it would not comply, leaving travellers stranded across the globe. Hiab Berhane was supposed to be on a flight Sunday to Kuwait. 'It's been very worrying because we're not sure whether we're going to fly today or have to go home,' said Berhane. 'I respect them trying to get better money if they're not being paid well, so I'm not really upset about it, but it is slightly frustrating that it's affecting our trip.' Chuck Schamel was headed to Toronto from Vancouver, but is stuck in Edmonton for two days because of the strike. He said it's been hectic trying to rebook his flight. 'It took hours to find an alternate airline because everybody in the world is trying to book with alternate airlines,' Schamel told CTV News Edmonton. 'I'm in favour of organized labour. I hate that they have to do it but I'm on board with it.' Matthew Sullivan is one of 1,200 frisbee athletes who were in Edmonton for the Canadian Ultimate Championships. He and his eight team members are in limbo as they seek flights to Windsor. 'There are a lot of players that are stuck in Edmonton right now trying to find a flight home,' said Sullivan. 'We're just waiting it out – find a hotel, find an Airbnb – until things resolve and Air Canada contacts us.' He said he hasn't heard from Air Canada at all. 'They're not sending messages whatsoever … more information would be great.' Air Canada said flights will resume Monday. But Brittany Thomas, the acting president of CUPE Local 4095 in Calgary, said they aren't backing down. 'We are not obligated to return our workers back to work,' said Thomas. 'At this point we have seen interference from the government and it is silencing our voice. We have a right to collective bargaining … we need a contract, not to be forced into arbitration. 'We don't want to have members who can't afford to live, can't afford to eat. They live in cars and are at the Food Bank. That is not okay.' With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti and Calgary's Tyson Fedor.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Uncertainty continues for Sask. travellers caught in Air Canada labour dispute
Saskatchewan Air Canada passengers continued to face uncertainty and confusion on Sunday as more flights out of Regina and Saskatoon were cancelled. Air Canada announced it was suspending plans to restart operations across the country on Sunday night after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) directed its flight attendants to defy the return-to-work order put in place by Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu on Saturday. The airline said it now plans to resume flight operations on Monday night. In Ontario on Saturday, passengers who had received notice that their flights were cancelled still showed up to Toronto Pearson International Airport in search of information from Air Canada about alternative options. Tanya Baron said while fighting back tears that her family was trying to get home to Saskatoon and airline staff had yet to provide them with rebooking options and gave her the runaround. "They send us here, they send us there. They tell us to call a number, where no human ever answers. I get hung up on. They tell us to check the website. There's just no flights and no way to get home," Baron said at Pearson Airport. 'Sympathy for both parties,' says passenger At the Regina International Airport, an Air Canada Jazz flight that operates under a different contract not affected by the strike did leave for Vancouver on Sunday afternoon. Greg Stoll, who was on the Vancouver flight, said he understood the concerns of the flight attendants but the country's largest airline can't be paralyzed by an extended strike. "I have sympathy for both parties," he said. "I can understand some of their needs, and ones of the union, but in the same token I understand the importance of having a national airline. "I'm OK with them going back to work as long as they continue talking and have a good contract at the end of the day." Becky Hoffart, whose sister was also on the Vancouver-bound flight, said her own experiences with unions as a nurse made her sympathetic to the flight attendants, and the politics of striking. "I support the union, but it's also a shame that it has to come to this and that they weren't able to resolve it before it did," she said. "They deserve a living wage and they deserve to be paid for their time. "If they are able to get a contract, it's worth it. If it's not, it's just super frustrating that the employer can't cough up some cash."
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Amber Kanwar's Weekly Setup: Canadian inflation and big box retail earnings
This is the first time all summer that my husband and I have gotten away, just the two of us. It is not really for leisure: He's on a work trip and I'm typing on a beach. There is also fallout from Air Canada's labour dispute that could mean navigating a hellscape of travel upon our return. It's funny what passes as a vacation these days. Here are five things to know this week: (CP)I of the storm: With few earnings reports in Canada, inflation will be the main reason for traders to show up to work this week. The Bank of Canada will get its second last look at headline and core inflation on Tuesday morning before the next interest rate decision in September. Headline inflation is expected to cool thanks to lower shelter and gasoline prices. However, core inflation is expected to remain sticky at 3 per cent. We learned last week that the central bank decided to hold interest rates at its last meeting precisely because core inflation remains elevated – it has been above 3 per cent for three months now. 'The BoC needs to see at least a couple of months (and probably three) of decelerating inflation before further rate cuts are on the table,' wrote Benjamin Reitzes, managing director for Canadian rates and macro strategist at Bank of Montreal Capital Markets. Inflation will be a hot topic at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium taking place in Wyoming toward the end of the week. Nearing the end of his term, Jerome Powell will give his remarks for the last time as Federal Reserve Chair. Investors will want to know how Mr. Powell is feeling about inflation after last week's data produced mixed results: lower consumer prices and significantly higher producer prices. The recent softness in the U.S. labour market may be the tipping point with investors betting on a September rate cut. Big box: Walmart Inc. is trading around record highs, while Target Corp. is languishing around a five-year low, and this week we will get a closer look at how these two big-box retailers are faring. While the two companies seem similar on the surface, grocery and everyday low prices have put Walmart in the pole position. But it also means that investors are now paying nearly 40 times earnings for Walmart compared to just 14 times for Target. Having said that, Walmart reports this Thursday and is expected to show an 11-per-cent increase in profit compared to a 23-per-cent drop for Target, which will report on Wednesday. Bank of America doesn't recommend getting lured in by Target's cheap valuation. 'Target is falling behind peers and has tougher challenges,' wrote Robert Ohmes, a senior research analyst at the bank, in an Aug 15. note downgrading Target to underperform ahead of earnings. Mr. Ohmes said Target's compounding sales growth has fallen below Walmart, as Walmart's online sales 'meaningfully outpace' those of Target. Aside from comparing the two, investors will be eyeing what the earnings say about the consumer spending outlook: If nothing else, it may offer a more accurate picture than numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where former commissioner Erika McEntarfer was recently fired by U.S. President Donald Trump. Building blocks: Home Depot Inc. and Lowe's Companies Inc. have been on a tear with both retailers' stocks up about 20 per cent over the last few months. Earnings this week will be a test of whether the enthusiasm around housing is warranted. It is no secret that the U.S. housing market has been in a funk coming off the trading-spaces hype, post-pandemic. Hopes are high that things are starting to turn around. Estimates for comparable sales growth are sitting at a three-year high. Royal Bank of Canada is warning that might be too lofty, in a preview note to clients. 'We're expecting modest comp misses for both names,' wrote Steven Shemesh, equity research analyst at RBC Capital Markets. However, he acknowledges that the buy-side might be prepared for that. Cyberstalking: Palo Alto Networks Inc. will have a chance to calm some nerves when it reports Monday. The cybersecurity giant plunged after announcing a US$25-billion deal to buy Israel's CyberArk in a cash and stock deal at the end of July. Investors are also nervous about volatile tech spending and how that might affect their forecast. Earnings from rivals haven't been a clean sweep and that is putting investors on edge. 'Despite our expectations of a solid quarter, we think shares will likely trade sideways in the near-term, given a combination of a potentially conservative guide, along with long-only investors not rushing to jump into the name,' wrote Adam Borg, managing director of equity research with Stifel, in a preview note to clients. In the Money with Amber Kanwar brings you insights from top portfolio managers and business leaders. Listen at
