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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Air Canada workers picket airports after flight attendants strike over wages
People hold placards as a strike begins after the union representing Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants failed to reach an agreement with the airline, at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, Quebec, Canada August 16, REUTERS Hundreds of Air Canada employees formed picket lines outside major Canadian airports and business leaders sought government intervention on Saturday, hours after unionized flight attendants walked off the job over a wage contract dispute. The strike, which started just before 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT), forced Canada's largest airline to cancel all of its 700 daily flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers who had to find alternative flights or stay put. The airline said in a statement on Saturday that it has started locking out thousands of flight attendants in response to the strike action. The carrier had offered a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year, which the Canadian Union of Public Employees said was insufficient. CUPE, representing more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, confirmed the work stoppage in a social media post. It is the first strike by Air Canada flight attendants since 1985. Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE, said in a press conference in Toronto that, as of Saturday morning, there were no bargaining sessions scheduled between the two sides, which have held on-and-off negotiations for months. Read More: Canada sheds 40,800 jobs as tariffs dent hiring "We are here because Air Canada forces us to work for free for hours and hours every day, and we are here because we are not going to accept it anymore," he said. Outside Toronto Pearson International Airport - the country's busiest - hundreds of cabin crew waved flags, banners and picket signs. Union officials called on members to assemble outside all of the country's major airports, including in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Montreal-based Air Canada said the suspended flights included those operated by its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge. The stoppage would affect about 130,000 customers a day, the carrier said in a statement. Flights by Air Canada's regional affiliates - Air Canada Jazz and PAL Airlines - will operate as usual. Wage dispute The dispute between the union and the airline centers on wages. Attendants are currently paid only when their plane is moving. The union is seeking compensation for time spent on the ground between flights and when helping passengers board. A US judge kept his block on President Donald Trump's buyout plan for federal employees in place on Monday. The union has said Air Canada offered to compensate flight attendants for some work that is now unpaid but only at 50% of their hourly rate. A source close to the negotiations told Reuters the union is looking for parity on wages with Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat, where flight attendants approved a contract last year that provided for total compounded increases of 30% over five years, making them the highest paid in the industry in Canada. Air Canada did not confirm if such a proposal had been put forth by the union. "What we're asking for is not unreasonable. It is not a high demand. It is not that far off other competitors such as Air Transat. It is realistic and it is deserved," Lesosky from CUPE said. The impact of a strike will ripple far beyond Canada. Air Canada is the busiest foreign carrier servicing the U.S. by number of scheduled flights.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Air Canada flight attendants walk off job, picket lines set up at airports
People hold placards as a strike begins after the union representing Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants failed to reach an agreement with the airline, at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, Quebec, Canada August 16, 2025. REUTERS/Peter McCabe TORONTO/OTTAWA (Reuters) -Hundreds of Air Canada employees formed picket lines outside major Canadian airports on Saturday, hours after unionized flight attendants walked off the job in a contract dispute that has disrupted travel for tens of thousands of passengers. 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. As of Saturday morning, there were no bargaining sessions scheduled between the two sides, which have held on-and-off negotiations for months. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, confirmed the stoppage in a social media post. It is the first strike by Air Canada flight attendants since 1985. Outside Toronto Pearson International Airport - the country's busiest - hundreds of cabin crew waved flags, banners and picket signs. Union officials called on members to assemble outside all of the country's major airports, including in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Montreal-based Air Canada said the suspended flights included those operated by its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge. The stoppage would affect about 130,000 customers a day, the carrier said in a statement. Flights by Air Canada's regional affiliates - Air Canada Jazz and PAL Airlines - will operate as usual. "Air Canada is strongly advising 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," the airline said. WAGE DISPUTE The dispute between the union and the airline centers on wages. Attendants are currently paid only when their plane is moving. The union is seeking compensation for time spent on theground between flights and when helping passengers board. The union has said Air Canada offered to compensate flight attendants for some work that is now unpaid but only at 50% of their hourly rate. The carrier had offered a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year, which the union said was insufficient. The impact of a strike will ripple far beyond Canada. Air Canada is the busiest foreign carrier servicing the U.S. by number of scheduled flights. While passengers have generally voiced support for the flight attendants on social media, Canadian businesses - already reeling from a trade dispute with the U.S. - have urged the federal government to impose binding arbitration on both sides, ending the strike. 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. Air Canada has asked Prime Minister Mark Carney's minority Liberal government to act, but the union says it wants a negotiated solution, as binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. Hajdu has repeatedly urged the two sides to return to the bargaining table. In a note to clients, analysts at financial services firm TD Cowen urged the carrier to "extend an olive branch to end the impasse," adding that investors are worried that any cost savings on labor would be outweighed by lost earnings in the airline's most important quarter. "We think it would be best for AC to achieve labor peace," the note said. "Not budging on negotiations risks being a Pyrrhic victory." (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal, and Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru. Additional reporting by Kyaw Soe Oo in Toronto and Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Frank McGurty and Paul Simao)
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Flying Air Canada from Montreal this week? Here's what you need to know
Air Canada has already begun suspending flights after the union representing its 10,000 flight attendants served a 72-hour strike notice early Wednesday. In response, the company issued a lockout notice. A work stoppage, which could start as early as Saturday at 12:58 a.m., would be a major blow at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, where more than half of the daily passenger traffic is made up of Air Canada's clientele, according to Aéroports de Montréal spokesperson Émilie Chevrette. Air Canada has already cancelled some flights on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. If no agreement is reached, a complete halt of all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights could happen as soon as Aug. 16. Here's what you need to know: Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled? Yes — customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and are eligible for a full refund, which can be obtained on the Air Canada website or through the company's app. Can I change my flight? Yes. Passengers scheduled to fly between Aug. 15 and 18 can change their flight for free, as long as their ticket was purchased — or booked with Aeroplan points — before Wednesday. Travellers can reschedule for any date between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12, 2025. Air Canada has also worked with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers alternative travel options where possible. For those who have already started their journey, the company 'will actively explore all options to keep you travelling,' including rebooking with other airlines on your behalf, according to the strike FAQ. However, with the summer travel season in full swing and many flights already full, it might not be possible right away in many cases. If a flight is delayed or cancelled, the airline promises to inform passengers of their rights and meet all required regulations. Should I still go to the airport if I have a flight scheduled? For passengers who have flights scheduled with Air Canada in the next few days, authorities suggest validating your flight schedule before coming to the airport, and not to travel to the airport in the event of a cancellation. Air Canada strongly recommends against customers going to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flights are showing as operating on the Air Canada website or on the mobile app. Passengers are also encouraged to use self-service online in anticipation of long wait times with customer service agents. Why is my flight cancelled before the strike starts? According to the company, a controlled wind down allows Air Canada to give customers advance warning, reduces the chance of customers being stranded, provides the airline and customers the time and opportunity to make alternative travel arrangements, and gives customers more certainty. Who can I talk to for help? Trudeau airport will add staff to the terminal and extend the opening hours of its information counter and chat service to help direct passengers to available services. Additional customer information, including an FAQ, is available on the Air Canada website. If you still have questions, you can reach Air Canada at 1-888-247-2262. Why are they striking? Air Canada has been in negotiations with the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) since December 2024. The union issued the 72-hour strike notice Wednesday, and Air Canada issued a lockout notice in response. Air Canada flight attendants are only paid 'when the plane is moving,' CUPE spokesperson Hugh Pouliot said in an interview. They are not paid during layovers or delays, for their time performing safety checks, attending to onboard medical and safety emergencies, or assisting passengers with boarding and deplaning. Since 2000, inflation has gone up 69 per cent and average full-time wages have risen 210 per cent in the same time period in Canada, according to CUPE. But entry-level Air Canada flight attendants' wages have increased only 10 per cent — $3 per hour — in the past 25 years. According to Air Canada, CUPE negotiators rejected an offer that included a 38 per cent compensation increase over four years (including eight per cent in the first year) and addressed unpaid time. CUPE responded that the offer is below inflation, below what flight attendants at other airlines make, below minimum wage when all hours worked are taken into account, would only pay them at half their hourly rate for their duties during previously unpaid time on the ground, and does not include 'time spent responding to medical emergencies, fires, evacuations, and other safety and security-related issues on the ground.' The airline has requested a government-directed arbitrator for the negotiations. Air Canada is also asking the Canadian government to immediately step in and use its authority under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to force binding interest arbitration, in an attempt to avoid a strike before it happens. 'The airline believes recent government interventions in rail, port and airline labour disruptions in Canada provide a proven precedent,' Air Canada wrote in a press statement. CUPE said in a statement that 'arbitrators rely on precedent and the status quo to make their determinations. But Air Canada flight attendants are trying to break the status quo by ending the historic abuse of unpaid work in this industry. Air Canada wants an arbitrator to do their dirty work for them to keep the status quo intact.' It also says arbitration would take away its members' 'democratic voice' by denying them a vote on a new contract. This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 2:37 PM.
