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3mo ago

Air Canada, CUPE Send Flight Attendant Wage Dispute to Arbitration

The decision follows a rejected wage offer, with Ottawa reviewing unpaid ground duties.

A passenger walks as striking Air Canada flight attendants hold placards as they defy a back to work order at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
Air Canada planes stand on the tarmac, as a strike begins after the union, which represents more than 10,000 Air Canada's flight attendants, failed to reach an agreement with the airline, at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada August 16, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/ File Photo
Air Canada flight attendants on strike picket at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, on Aug. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
WestJet passenger jets parked at departure gates at the Calgary International Airport on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Overview

  • Air Canada accepted CUPE’s request to skip mediation and move wage talks for flight attendants directly to binding arbitration.
  • The airline says arbitration will set wage increases and trigger retroactive pay dating back to April 2025.
  • All other terms from the August tentative agreement remain in place except wages, and the airline says flights will continue without disruption.
  • A three-day August walkout forced widespread cancellations before the federal government ordered attendants back to work and a tentative deal was reached.
  • CUPE 8125 has served WestJet notice to bargain over alleged unpaid work, as Employment and Social Development Canada schedules industry roundtables for Sept. 23–24 and Oct. 2–3, with the review expected to finish by early December.