Air Canada flights grounded as union defies arbitration order, demanding pay for ground work in unprecedented labour showdown.
Air Canada flights grounded as union defies arbitration order, demanding pay for ground work in unprecedented labour showdown.
Air Canada’s fleet remained grounded on Sunday after striking flight attendants refused a government-backed order to return to work, intensifying a high-stakes showdown between the airline, the Canadian government, and its largest flight attendants’ union.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 cabin crew, rejected the Canada Industrial Relations Board’s (CIRB) directive to enter binding arbitration, saying it stripped workers of leverage and violated their constitutional rights. Instead, CUPE urged Air Canada to return to the bargaining table to “negotiate a fair deal.”
The defiance left hundreds of planes parked and travel plans disrupted for some of the 130,000 passengers Air Canada carries daily as part of the Star Alliance network. The carrier said it would delay attempts to restart flights until Sunday evening and accused the union of “illegally defying” the CIRB’s order.
At the heart of the dispute are wages and a longstanding industry practice that only pays flight attendants while aircraft are in motion. CUPE says attendants deserve compensation for essential on-the-ground work such as boarding passengers.
The issue has gained traction across North America, with recent US labour agreements at American Airlines and Alaska Airlines requiring carriers to pay flight attendants during boarding. United Airlines’ cabin crew also rejected a deal in July in part over similar demands.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government moved last week to end the strike by asking the CIRB to impose arbitration, invoking Section 107 powers rarely challenged by unions. While governments have previously stepped in to avert strikes most recently under Justin Trudeau to prevent rail and dock stoppages in 2024 CUPE called its defiance “unprecedented.”
The government has yet to comment on its next steps but faces limited options. Courts could be asked to enforce the order, or Parliament could pass back-to-work legislation when it reconvenes on September 15. Analysts say Ottawa must tread carefully: in past rulings, Canada’s Supreme Court has warned governments against heavy-handed moves that undermine the right to strike.
“The government will be very reticent to be too heavy-handed,” said Dionne Pohler, professor of dispute resolution at Cornell University. “Another option is to encourage bargaining.”
At Toronto Pearson International Airport, frustration mingled with sympathy. “They are right,” said Francesca Tondini, a 50-year-old Italian traveller stranded at the terminal. “I support them, even though I don’t know when I’ll be able to return home.”
For now, uncertainty looms over when Air Canada will resume full operations, with both sides digging in as one of the country’s most disruptive labour disputes in years escalates.
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