Over 10,000 flight attendants went on strike against Air Canada from August 16 to 19. Workers formed large picket lines outside Toronto Pearson International Airport, protesting what they described as ‘unfair wages’ and ‘unpaid labour.’ 

The strike forced Air Canada to cancel about 700 flights daily, disrupting travel for roughly 130,000 people each day. The airline suspended operations of both its main airline and low-cost carrier, Air Canada Rouge. The strike ended on August 19, after a tentative agreement was reached, but flight attendants will still need to vote on whether they accept the new terms.

The build-up to the strike

In 2015, Air Canada flight attendants signed a 10-year collective agreement, or a legally binding contract between the airline and its employees that sets out their wages, benefits, and hours. 

When the contract expired this past March, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents workers among many others, entered negotiations with Air Canada. 

The talks quickly stalled over pay — flight attendants demanded compensation for duties performed before takeoff, such as boarding, deplaning, and safety checks, which are typically unpaid. 

Natasha Stea, an Air Canada flight attendant and president of CUPE’s air cabin crew division in Montréal, argues that unpaid pre-flight work reflects systemic gender disparities. About 70 per cent of flight attendants are women, and they perform duties such as boarding, deplaning, and safety checks without pay. By contrast, pilots — who are predominantly men — receive full compensation for their work, highlighting a historical pattern in which roles dominated by women are undervalued compared with male-dominated positions.

Responses from Air Canada and the government 

Air Canada’s final offer before the strike proposed a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years. CUPE rejected the offer, arguing that the raises remain well below inflation and are insufficient for the current cost of living. 

In response, the Canadian government invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, allowing Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu, to enforce binding arbitration, in which a neutral third party determines the terms of a new agreement.

The federal labour board issued a back-to-work order under Section 107. However, CUPE chose to defy the order and continue the strike. 

The resolution

After three days of striking and nine hours of talks facilitated by a government-appointed mediator, CUPE and Air Canada reached a tentative deal on August 19. Flight attendants will receive compensation for at least 60 minutes of their pre-flight duties at 50 per cent of their hourly rate. Additionally, cabin crew with under five years of experience will receive a cumulative wage increase of over 20 per cent, while those with more experience will receive a 17 per cent increase.

Flight attendants will begin voting on whether to accept the wage increases on August 27. This voting only concerns these increases, while the agreement to raise ground pay is binding regardless of the outcome. 

However, many flight attendants are unhappy with the deal. The new wage increases are substantially lower than those received by the airline’s pilots in 2024, who received a 26 per cent increase in hourly pay in the first year and a 42 per cent cumulative increase over four years. With total inflation in Canada at roughly 30 per cent over the past decade, flight attendants were seeking a salary increase to better offset rising costs. 

Voting on the deal ends on September 6; if it is not approved, a third party will determine the final terms of the agreement.