More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants commenced a strike at 12:58 a.m. ET on Saturday, following unsuccessful negotiations between the airline and their union before the deadline. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) issued a 72-hour strike notice after midnight on Wednesday. In response, Air Canada announced plans to lock out workers and began reducing flight operations on Thursday.
The strike’s implementation means that approximately 130,000 customers will face disruptions each day, including 25,000 Canadian travelers currently overseas. Talks between CUPE and Air Canada hit a roadblock over issues such as wages and ground pay, which compensates flight attendants for work during ground delays.
Earlier in the week, Air Canada suggested using binding arbitration to settle terms for the renewal of a 10-year collective agreement that expired in March. However, CUPE rejected the arbitration proposal, opting to continue negotiations at the table for a mutual agreement.
Air Canada sought federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu’s intervention under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to initiate binding interest arbitration. Hajdu set a deadline for CUPE to respond by noon on Friday, which they ultimately declined.
