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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Air Canada suspends operations as flight attendants go on strike
TORONTO — Air Canada suspended operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season. Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike had started after no deal was reached, and the airline said it halted operations. A bitter contract fight between Canada's largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians may be stranded abroad daily. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. Keelin Pringnitz, from Ottawa, was returning with her family from a European vacation when they became stranded at London's Heathrow Airport after flights were canceled. She said there was an option for the travelers in line to go the United States, but they were told there wouldn't be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. 'It didn't go over well with the line. Nobody really seemed interested, everybody seemed a little bit amused almost at the suggestion, or exasperated, because it is a bit ridiculous to offer to take stranded passengers to a different country to strand them there,' she said. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is in doubt. They had a Saturday night flight to Nice, France, booked. Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union late Friday and urged them to work harder to reach a deal 'once and for all.' 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. Ian Lee, associate professor, Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, said he expects the government to intervene within five days if the strike is not settled quickly, noting the government repeatedly does so in transportation strikes. 'They will intervene to bring the strike to an end. Why? Because it has happened 45 times from 1950 until now,' Lee said. 'It is all because of the incredible dependency of Canadians.' Canada is the second-largest country in the world and flying is often the only viable option. 'We're so huge a country and it's so disruptive when there is a strike of any kind in transportation,' Lee said. The government forced the country's two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union last year during a work stoppage. The union for the rail workers is suing, arguing the government is removing a union's leverage in negotiations. The Business Council of Canada has urged the government to impose binding arbitration in this case, too. Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. Laroche said he was initially upset over the union's decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages. 'Their wage is barely livable,' Laroche said. Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. 'We are heartbroken for our passengers. Nobody wants to see Canadians stranded or anxious about their travel plans but we cannot work for free,' said Natasha Stea, a Air Canada flight attendant and local union president. The attendants are about 70% women. Stea said Air Canada pilots, who are male dominated, received a significant raise last year and questioned whether they are getting fair treatment. The airline's latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation. 'We're the national carrier and we have people operating in poverty. Like that's disgusting, that's very problematic,' Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, said at a news conference.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Air Canada flight attendants on strike, airline's flights cancelled
Passengers around the world are feeling the effects after the union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada announced its members were walking off the job after it was unable to reach an eleventh-hour deal with the airline. The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday and in turn, Air Canada locked out its agents about 30 minutes later due to the strike action. Keelin Pringnitz and her family, from Ottawa, were returning from a European vacation, but were left stranded after flights were cancelled. 'It was an end of my maternity leave kind of trip. We went to the Faroe Islands and Norway, travelling through Air Canada to London,' Pringnitz said from London's Heathrow Airport. She and her family were working to find an alternative route home. The airline said all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights would be cancelled amid the work stoppage. Around 130,000 customers will be affected each day the strike continues, the company said. "Air Canada deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers," it said in a brief statement early Saturday morning. Flights by Air Canada Express, operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL, are not affected. Picket lines will be active at airports across Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said. Striking flight attendants also plan to picket at airports in Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg. "Negotiations between CUPE and Air Canada have ended in impasse," the union said in a press release early Saturday morning. "We are heartbroken for our passengers. We do not want to go on strike, and we do not want to be locked out, but it is clear that Air Canada has no incentive to bargain." The union and employer met face-to-face late Friday, but nothing more is scheduled, the union said. Air Canada previously asked Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to order the parties to enter a binding arbitration process — a power granted to the minister through Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. On Friday, Hajdu urged Air Canada and the union to get back to the negotiating table, suggesting she's not ready to intervene in the dispute. The minister said the union has indicated many of its demands have been met, suggesting there is a path forward to a deal. Hajdu had asked the union to respond to the company's request. CUPE indicated Friday it opposed arbitration, instead maintaining its desire to solve the impasse through bargaining. Although the government hasn't said it will intervene, the union seemed to imply throughout the week that the writing could be on the wall. CUPE accused Air Canada of refusing to bargain in good faith "due to the likelihood of the federal government using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to interfere in negotiations and have a contract imposed by an outside third-party arbitrator." "The best deal is going to be negotiated at the table ... I understand, the bargaining committee, and our members understand the working conditions we're currently under," Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE, said Saturday. "Bargain it. Deal with it. Fight those differences out at the table, not in front of the workers, and bring them back something that they'll be proud of and the company can live with." The union has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. "What we're asking for is not unreasonable. It is not a high demand. It is not that far off other comparators such as Air Transat, it is realistic and it is deserved. We are the national carrier and we have people operating in poverty," Lesosky said. "So the company needs to be willing to address those things, you can't go the status quo and say eight per cent is enough, 10 per cent is enough — it's not." On Friday, the union released polling by Abacus Data indicating that 59 per cent of Canadians believe the federal government should respect flight attendants' right to take job action, even if it causes travel disruptions. The weighted survey of 1,500 respondents, conducted Thursday and Friday, said 88 per cent of Canadians believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties including boarding, delays and safety checks. Four-in-five respondents said they support raising flight attendant pay to meet the rising cost-of-living. Air Canada has said its latest proposal included a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years, including a new provision for ground pay "that is industry-leading in Canada." The proposal would provide "significant improvements" to health benefits and pension plans, an increase to paid vacation and measures to address union concerns about rest and work-life balance, the airline said. "It will make Air Canada flight attendants the best compensated in Canada," the company said, adding its cabin crew already earn up to $17 more per hour than their counterparts at Air Canada's largest domestic competitor. Air Canada cancelled more than 600 flights over the past two days in preparation for a potential work stoppage, affecting 100,000 passengers. It said it will notify customers with imminent travel of additional cancelled flights and their options. The airline has said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to change their travel plans without a fee. It added it strongly advises affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. As for Pringnitz and her family, she noted there was an option for travellers to go the United States but was told there wouldn't be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. 'It didn't go over well with the line. Nobody really seemed interested, everybody seemed a little bit amused almost at the suggestion, or exasperated, because it is a bit ridiculous to offer to take stranded passengers to a different country to strand them there.' For customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada said it will allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX: AC) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Air Canada suspends operations as flight attendants go on strike
A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians may be stranded abroad daily. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. Advertisement Keelin Pringnitz, from Ottawa, was returning with her family from a European vacation when they became stranded at London's Heathrow Airport after flights were canceled. She said there was an option for the travelers in line to go the United States, but they were told there wouldn't be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It didn't go over well with the line. Nobody really seemed interested, everybody seemed a little bit amused almost at the suggestion, or exasperated, because it is a bit ridiculous to offer to take stranded passengers to a different country to strand them there,' she said. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is in doubt. They had a Saturday night flight to Nice, France, booked. Advertisement Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. Air Canada flight attendants picketed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 16. Sammy Kogan/Associated Press 'Such little progress has been made' Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union late Friday and urged them to work harder to reach a deal 'once and for all.' 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. Ian Lee, associate professor, Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, said he expects the government to intervene within five days if the strike is not settled quickly, noting the government repeatedly does so in transportation strikes. 'They will intervene to bring the strike to an end. Why? Because it has happened 45 times from 1950 until now,' Lee said. 'It is all because of the incredible dependency of Canadians.' Canada is the second-largest country in the world and flying is often the only viable option. 'We're so huge a country and it's so disruptive when there is a strike of any kind in transportation,' Lee said. The government forced the country's two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union last year during a work stoppage. The union for the rail workers is suing, arguing the government is removing a union's leverage in negotiations. Advertisement The Business Council of Canada has urged the government to impose binding arbitration in this case, too. Travelers in limbo Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. Laroche said he was initially upset over the union's decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages. 'Their wage is barely livable,' Laroche said. Sides are far apart on pay Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. 'We are heartbroken for our passengers. Nobody wants to see Canadians stranded or anxious about their travel plans but we cannot work for free,' said Natasha Stea, a Air Canada flight attendant and local union president. The attendants are about 70% women. Stea said Air Canada pilots, who are male dominated, received a significant raise last year and questioned whether they are getting fair treatment. Advertisement The airline's latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation. 'We're the national carrier and we have people operating in poverty. Like that's disgusting, that's very problematic,' Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, said at a news conference. ___ Airlines reporter Rio Yamat reported from Las Vegas.
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Air Canada flight attendants on strike, airline's flights cancelled
Passengers around the world are feeling the effects after the union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada announced its members were walking off the job after it was unable to reach an eleventh hour deal with the airline. The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. Keelin Pringnitz and her family, from Ottawa, were returning from a European vacation, but were left stranded after flights were cancelled. 'It was an end of my maternity leave kind of trip. We went to the Faroe Islands in Norway, travelling through Air Canada to London,' Pringnitz said from London's Heathrow Airport. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. She and her family were working to find an alternative route home. The airline said all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights would be cancelled amid the work stoppage. Around 130,000 customers will be affected each day that the strike continues, the company said. 'Air Canada deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers,' it said in a brief statement early Saturday morning. Flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL, are not affected. The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said picket lines will be active at airports across Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Striking flight attendants also plan to picket at airports in Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg. 'Negotiations between CUPE and Air Canada have ended in impasse,' the union said in a press release early Saturday morning. 'We are heartbroken for our passengers. We do not want to go on strike, and we do not want to be locked out, but it is clear that Air Canada has no incentive to bargain.' Air Canada previously asked Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to intervene by ordering the parties to enter a binding arbitration process — a power granted to the minister through Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. On Friday, Hajdu urged Air Canada and the union to get back to the negotiating table, suggesting she's not ready to intervene in the dispute. The minister said the union has indicated many of its demands have been met, suggesting there is a path forward to a deal. Hajdu had asked the union to respond to the company's request. CUPE indicated Friday it opposed arbitration, instead maintaining its desire to solve the impasse through bargaining. Although the government hasn't said it will intervene, the union seemed to imply throughout the week that the writing could be on the wall. CUPE accused Air Canada of refusing to bargain in good faith 'due to the likelihood of the federal government using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to interfere in negotiations and have a contract imposed by an outside third-party arbitrator.' The union has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during the course of its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. 'Air Canada still refuses to compensate flight attendants for all hours worked,' said CUPE's press release. 'The union has been firm: all safety-related duties should be paid at full hourly rate. Air Canada does not agree. On wages, Air Canada's last offer will still leave flight attendants living below poverty levels for many years to come.' On Friday, the union released polling by Abacus Data indicating that 59 per cent of Canadians believe the federal government should respect flight attendants' right to take job action, even if it causes travel disruptions. The weighted survey of 1,500 respondents, conducted Thursday and Friday, said 88 per cent of Canadians believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties including boarding, delays and safety checks. Four-in-five respondents said they support raising flight attendant pay to meet the rising cost-of-living. Air Canada has said its latest proposal included a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years, including a new provision for ground pay 'that is industry-leading in Canada.' The proposal would provide 'significant improvements' to health benefits and pension plans, an increase to paid vacation and measures to address union concerns about rest and work-life balance, the airline said. 'It will make Air Canada flight attendants the best compensated in Canada,' the company said, adding its cabin crew already earn up to $17 more per hour than their counterparts at Air Canada's largest domestic competitor. Air Canada cancelled more than 600 flights over the past two days in preparation for a potential work stoppage, affecting 100,000 passengers. It said it will notify customers with imminent travel of additional cancelled flights and their options. The airline has said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to change their travel plans without a fee. It added it strongly advises affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. As for Pringnitz and her family, she noted there was an option for travellers to go the United States. but was told there wouldn't be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. 'It didn't go over well with the line. Nobody really seemed interested, everybody seemed a little bit amused almost at the suggestion, or exasperated, because it is a bit ridiculous to offer to take stranded passengers to a different country to strand them there.' For customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada said it will allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Air Canada flight attendants on strike, airline's flights cancelled
Passengers around the world are feeling the effects after the union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada announced its members were walking off the job after it was unable to reach an eleventh hour deal with the airline. The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. Keelin Pringnitz and her family, from Ottawa, were returning from a European vacation, but were left stranded after flights were cancelled. 'It was an end of my maternity leave kind of trip. We went to the Faroe Islands in Norway, travelling through Air Canada to London,' Pringnitz said from London's Heathrow Airport. She and her family were working to find an alternative route home. The airline said all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights would be cancelled amid the work stoppage. Around 130,000 customers will be affected each day that the strike continues, the company said. "Air Canada deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers," it said in a brief statement early Saturday morning. Flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL, are not affected. The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said picket lines will be active at airports across Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Striking flight attendants also plan to picket at airports in Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg. "Negotiations between CUPE and Air Canada have ended in impasse," the union said in a press release early Saturday morning. "We are heartbroken for our passengers. We do not want to go on strike, and we do not want to be locked out, but it is clear that Air Canada has no incentive to bargain." Air Canada previously asked Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to intervene by ordering the parties to enter a binding arbitration process — a power granted to the minister through Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. On Friday, Hajdu urged Air Canada and the union to get back to the negotiating table, suggesting she's not ready to intervene in the dispute. The minister said the union has indicated many of its demands have been met, suggesting there is a path forward to a deal. Hajdu had asked the union to respond to the company's request. CUPE indicated Friday it opposed arbitration, instead maintaining its desire to solve the impasse through bargaining. Although the government hasn't said it will intervene, the union seemed to imply throughout the week that the writing could be on the wall. CUPE accused Air Canada of refusing to bargain in good faith "due to the likelihood of the federal government using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to interfere in negotiations and have a contract imposed by an outside third-party arbitrator." The union has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during the course of its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. "Air Canada still refuses to compensate flight attendants for all hours worked," said CUPE's press release. "The union has been firm: all safety-related duties should be paid at full hourly rate. Air Canada does not agree. On wages, Air Canada's last offer will still leave flight attendants living below poverty levels for many years to come." On Friday, the union released polling by Abacus Data indicating that 59 per cent of Canadians believe the federal government should respect flight attendants' right to take job action, even if it causes travel disruptions. The weighted survey of 1,500 respondents, conducted Thursday and Friday, said 88 per cent of Canadians believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties including boarding, delays and safety checks. Four-in-five respondents said they support raising flight attendant pay to meet the rising cost-of-living. Air Canada has said its latest proposal included a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years, including a new provision for ground pay "that is industry-leading in Canada." The proposal would provide "significant improvements" to health benefits and pension plans, an increase to paid vacation and measures to address union concerns about rest and work-life balance, the airline said. "It will make Air Canada flight attendants the best compensated in Canada," the company said, adding its cabin crew already earn up to $17 more per hour than their counterparts at Air Canada's largest domestic competitor. Air Canada cancelled more than 600 flights over the past two days in preparation for a potential work stoppage, affecting 100,000 passengers. It said it will notify customers with imminent travel of additional cancelled flights and their options. The airline has said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to change their travel plans without a fee. It added it strongly advises affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. As for Pringnitz and her family, she noted there was an option for travellers to go the United States. but was told there wouldn't be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. 'It didn't go over well with the line. Nobody really seemed interested, everybody seemed a little bit amused almost at the suggestion, or exasperated, because it is a bit ridiculous to offer to take stranded passengers to a different country to strand them there.' For customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada said it will allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
