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34m ago

Air Canada Strike Ruled Illegal as Flight Attendants Defy Return-to-Work Order

The ruling followed Ottawa’s use of Section 107 to force binding arbitration through the federal labour board.

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Air Canada employees and union members protest outside the Air Canada headquarters in Montreal, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, after the federal government intervened in the labour dispute between the airline and the union representing its flight attendants, ordering binding arbitration and operations to resume. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Passengers walk past an Air Canada sign, ahead of a potential strike by flight attendants of the airline, at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, August 14, 2025. REUTERS/Kyaw Soe Oo/File Photo

Overview

  • The Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the walkout unlawful and directed attendants to resume duties immediately, instructing the union to notify members by noon Monday.
  • CUPE said it has filed a Federal Court challenge and kept pickets at major airports, with leaders publicly rejecting the order to return to work.
  • Air Canada canceled hundreds of flights, scrapped a planned Sunday restart and said it would try to resume flights Monday evening, with disruptions affecting about 130,000 travelers per day.
  • Government officials say they are monitoring enforcement options after the order, and reporting notes potential court action or legislation, with Parliament not sitting again until September 15.
  • The dispute centers on higher wages and pay for boarding and other ground duties; the airline touts a richer compensation offer while the union calls it insufficient and highlights unpaid work.