Air Canada strike: union reaches tentative agreement, return to full service could take a week
The two parties hammered out a deal after a nine-hour negotiation, mediated by a mutually agreed-upon third party, which began at 7 p.m. Monday, according to the airline component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
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Toronto Sun
17 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Air Canada could face 'tens of millions' in class action damages after strike chaos
Two proposed class actions, filed in Quebec on Monday, accuse both the airline and its flight attendants' union of failing passengers during the strike. Published Aug 19, 2025 • Last updated 20 minutes ago • 3 minute read Passengers line up for assistance at Trudeau airport after flight cancellations and delays were announced as Air Canada prepares to lock out its flight attendants, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Allen McInnis/Montreal Gazette The strike that grounded Air Canada flights left hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded from Montreal to Mexico. Now, the turmoil may soon shift to the courts. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Two proposed class actions, filed in Quebec on Monday, accuse both the airline and its flight attendants' union of failing passengers during the stoppage. The case against Air Canada alone could be worth 'tens of millions' of dollars in damages, according to lawyers involved. The walkout began on Aug. 16 after much speculation in the week prior. It was subsequently declared unlawful and then dragged on until a tentative deal was reached on Tuesday morning. For many passengers, the disruption meant cancelled holidays, missed connections, and frantic scrambles to either rearrange a planned trip or find a way home. Passenger files against Air Canada One lawsuit, filed by law firms LPC Avocats and Renno Vathilakis, alleges the carrier breached federal passenger protection rules by failing to rebook travellers within 48 hours. Canadian regulations require airlines to place passengers on the next available flight, even with a rival carrier. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The claimant is a Montreal student returning to veterinary school in Grenada. According to her lawyer, Joey Zukran of LPC Avocats, she received an email on Aug. 16 notifying her that her flight the following day was cancelled. Air Canada told her it would 'do its best' to rebook her within three days. She ended up buying a ticket on American Airlines out of her own pocket. 'Air Canada has an obligation to get her on an Air Canada flight or a partner carrier within 48 hours,' said Zukran. 'Instead, she paid out of her own pocket.' With the airline itself reporting that 500,000 travellers were affected, the potential damages could climb into the 'tens of millions,' Zukran added. Michael Vathilakis of Renno Vathilakis said Air Canada's handling of the crisis only compounded frustrations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It seemed that throughout this entire process, Air Canada was unclear — and I would even say beyond unclear: unavailable,' he said. Air Canada did not respond to a request for comment. Class action against the union A second lawsuit, filed the same day by Lambert Avocats, targets the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the airline's 10,000 flight attendants. It alleges the union 'illegally continued' its strike after the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered staff back to work. According to lawyer Philippe Brault of Lambert Avocats, the claim argues CUPE's defiance prolonged the shutdown and forced passengers to absorb extra costs for hotel rooms, meals during unexpected layovers, and replacement flights. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The claimant, who had booked a family holiday in Cancún, said the trip collapsed when crews stayed off the job despite the federal order. The union has not yet filed a formal response. Previously, it has defended the strike as a constitutional right. On a call with members, CUPE's president noted the strike fund stands at $125 million. Where does this leave Air Canada? Although a tentative agreement has now been reached, Air Canada has warned it could take up to 10 days for schedules to return to normal. The airline has promised to refund cancelled flights and rebook passengers, but many travellers say they are still struggling to get hold of the company. The financial toll is expected to be steep. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets estimate the strike and subsequent restart costs will wipe roughly $500 million from Air Canada's operating profit this year, according to La Presse. The carrier has also withdrawn its full-year earnings guidance. Upon the news of a tentative agreement Tuesday, its shares rose. Toronto Blue Jays NHL World Sunshine Girls Canada
Montreal Gazette
an hour ago
- Montreal Gazette
Update: As strike ends, Air Canada travellers in Montreal struggle to reach their destinations
What you need to know: A tentative agreement was reached between Air Canada and CUPE on Tuesday morning. Flights will resume Tuesday afternoon, but could take up to 10 days to return to normal. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has launched an investigation into unpaid work in the airline sector. The strike was declared 'illegal' on Monday, but union members continued to strike and defy the back-to-work order. Air Canada promises to refund cancelled flights and rebook passengers, but many travellers still struggle to contact the airline. Air Canada will gradually restart operations Tuesday evening after reaching a tentative agreement with the flight attendants union to end its strike. Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport was calm Tuesday morning after the strike was declared over. The picket line nearby had disappeared, along with the long lines at the Air Canada check-in terminal. A handful of Air Canada flights from Montreal Tuesday morning were delayed until the afternoon, and travellers' plans were still up in the air. Ahoora Sadeghi and his wife Nadia Sajjadi had planned to fly direct to St. John's, N.L., on Monday, but were rebooked free of charge on a 10-hour flight with four stops. 'A 10-hour flight for a two-hour flight, that's really annoying,' said Sadeghi, who was trying to get his flight changed Tuesday morning. Chantelle Chandler was trying to get back home to Fort St. John, B.C., and was rebooked free on a flight for Thursday with a 24-hour layover in the United States. But as a woman in a wheelchair, she felt uneasy about being stuck south of the border. 'I'm disabled. What would I do down there for 24 hours?' she said Tuesday as she tried to change her flight at Trudeau airport. 'It's not nice what us travellers are going through.' Although the Air Canada strike is finished, 37 flights out of YUL are still cancelled as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. One is delayed, 37 are still scheduled to take off Tuesday afternoon/evening. — leora schertzer (@leoraschertzer) August 19, 2025 The agreement with the flight-attendants arm of the Canadian Union of Public Employees was 'begun on the basis that the union commit to have the airline's 10,000 flight attendants immediately return to work,' according to a statement from the Montreal-based airline. 'Unpaid work is over,' CUPE spokesperson Nathalie Garceau said in a statement Tuesday. 'We have reclaimed our voice and our power. When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — and we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.' The deal was reached under the supervision of mediator William Kaplan in Toronto. It could take more than a week for operations to get back to normal, the airline said in the statement. Only people who have confirmed bookings should go to the airport. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu launched a probe into unpaid work in the aviation industry, which she said will be made public. A sticking point in the negotiations was 'ground pay' — CUPE says flight attendants are only paid when the plane is moving, and not for boarding, deplaning or delays. 'Nobody should work for free,' Hajdu wrote in a statement. 'Although the Canada Labour Code expressly prohibits unpaid work, these concerning allegations are very serious and we will get to the bottom of it.' Please see my statement on the latest development between CUPE Flight Attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada: // Voici ma déclaration sur les derniers développements entre les agents de bord du SCFP d'Air Canada et Air Canada : — Patty Hajdu (@PattyHajdu) August 19, 2025 Air Canada said it will provide a full refund upon request for the unused portion of tickets purchased before Aug. 15 for flights between Aug. 18 and Aug. 21. This does not include Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and PAL airlines, which continued to operate as scheduled. Stephen Maher and his son Lachlan from Australia were originally booked to fly to Vancouver Tuesday afternoon, but were told the next available flight was on Saturday. Stephen will likely miss his cruise departure, and his son would miss his connection to Sydney. But he said he understands these things happen. 'I do understand the airline staff's issues and I fully respect that,' he said. 'I'm wholeheartedly supporting them, to be quite honest.' The strike, which affected Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, began Saturday and has left hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded or scrambling to find seats on alternative airlines. Gradual resumption of Air Canada and Rouge flights. Passengers are advised that the airline's return to full, regular service may require seven-to-ten days. Only customers with confirmed bookings and flights should go to the airport. — YUL Aéroport international Montréal-Trudeau (@yulaeroport) August 19, 2025 Air Canada and CUPE were negotiating a new contract for flight attendants since the previous 10-year agreement expired in March. The talks have centred on pay and working conditions, with one of the main demands being compensation for duties carried out before takeoff. The Canada Industrial Relations Board had ordered flight attendants back to work Monday and said the strike was illegal, but the union refused. It said the move infringed on the constitutional right to strike. I am relieved that Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have reached a tentative agreement early this morning. It is my hope that this will ensure flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times, while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of… — Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 19, 2025 Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was relieved that a tentative deal was reached on Tuesday. 'It is my hope that this will ensure flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times, while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, workers, and visitors to Canada.' This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 6:50 AM.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Quebec workers could face same fate as Air Canada flight attendants, union leaders say
The presidents of two major Quebec unions fear that workers in the province could soon face the same treatment as striking Air Canada flight attendants under a provincial law passed in May. The law gives Quebec's labour minister the power to end a labour dispute by imposing arbitration when the strike or lockout is deemed likely to cause serious or irreparable harm to the public. Magali Picard with the FTQ and Éric Gingras with the CSQ said Monday that Quebec employers now have an incentive to drag their feet on negotiations while waiting for the government to intervene. The two union presidents drew a parallel between the new Quebec law and federal legislation that permits Ottawa to force two sides in a labour dispute into binding arbitration. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Ottawa has done just that in the conflict between Air Canada and its flight attendants' union. Story continues below advertisement 'Federal intervention … is a scenario that is repeating itself and becoming the norm in employers' bargaining strategies. They let negotiations fester, and then they cry on the government's shoulder, asking it to intervene under false pretences,' Picard said. 'I predict that this is also what will happen in Quebec.' Her union is affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents Air Canada flight attendants across the country. That union defied a back-to-work order on Monday, leading the federal labour relations board to conclude the strike is unlawful. During a press conference in Montreal on Monday, Gingras said the flight attendants are experiencing 'exactly what Quebec unions could experience' under the new law — namely, 'an employer who drags his feet, who sits back in negotiations, and who waits for the government to intervene.' The unions have already indicated their intention to mount a legal challenge of the new law, which will take effect on Nov. 30. The Quebec law expands the types of services that must be maintained in the event of a strike or lockout, 'to prevent the population's social, economic or environmental security from being disproportionally affected.' The health and public services sectors are excluded from the legislation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.
