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Air Canada Pauses Flight Restarts as Union Defies Return-to-Work Order

CUPE’s refusal to comply with a CIRB directive under binding arbitration has pushed Air Canada’s restart of flights into Monday evening

An Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Jazz Aviation LP sits on the tarmac at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport outside of Hebron, Ky., Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
An Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Jazz Aviation LP sits on the tarmac at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport outside of Hebron, Ky., Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
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Overview

  • Less than 12 hours after attendants walked off Aug. 16, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu invoked Section 107 to impose binding arbitration and refer the case to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
  • The CIRB ordered flight attendants back by 2 p.m. Sunday, but CUPE national president Mark Hancock declared members would not comply with the return-to-work directive.
  • Air Canada suspended its planned Sunday resumption and now anticipates restarting flights no earlier than Monday evening, warning that full operational recovery could take up to a week.
  • Hundreds of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge services remain canceled, affecting about 130,000 passengers daily and prompting the airline to offer refunds or limited rebooking options.
  • Flight attendants are demanding pay for ground duties and higher base wages, while Air Canada says its latest proposal would boost total compensation by roughly 38% over four years.