Air Canada delays restart as union defies government return-to-work order

Mark Hancock, national president of CUPE, addressed supporters outside Toronto’s Pearson International Airport saying: “our members are not going back to work.” In response to accusations from Air Canada that the union had “illegally” instructed its members to ignore the CIRB order, Hancock issued a statement on August 16: “will continue to fight on the picket lines, in the streets, at the bargaining table, in the courts, and in Parliament, until the injustice of unpaid work is finally addressed.”

CUPE also criticized both Air Canada and government intervention. National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick described recent actions as “absolutely shameful and a blatant betrayal” by Air Canada. She further stated: “on behalf of an already wildly profitable employer, while a predominantly female workforce fights tooth and nail for a path out of poverty, is not just unjust, it’s a disgraceful misuse of power that reeks of systemic bias and corporate favoritism.”

The dispute intensified after CUPE issued a strike notice on August 13. In response, Air Canada delivered its own lockout notice as required by law. Both airlines have since reduced schedules affecting roughly 100,000 passengers since August 14.

A major point of contention is how flight attendants are compensated; most airlines pay them only when planes are moving—ground duties remain unpaid. On August 14th Air Canada proposed increasing total compensation by up to 38% over four years with hourly rates reaching $94 in year one due to combined wage hikes and new ground pay formulas. Senior flight attendants could earn $87,000 on average by 2027—with about one-fifth earning more than $90,000—but CUPE negotiators found these terms insufficient.

Flight attendants continue pressing for higher wages as well as pay for currently uncompensated ground duties.