Unionized Air Canada flight attendants have announced they will remain on strike and challenged a back-to-work order that was handed down by the federal jobs minister on Saturday.
Air Canada said it plans to resume cancelled flights on Sunday evening with a gradual increase over coming days after Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu directed binding arbitration.
“The directive, under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, and the CIRB’s order, ends the strike at Air Canada that resulted in the suspension of more than 700 flights,” Air Canada said in a statement.
“The CIRB has directed Air Canada to resume airline operations and for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to resume their duties by 14:00 EDT on August 17, 2025.”
Air Canada flight attendants’ strike went into effect around midnight on Aug. 15.
On Sunday, the union said all members would remain on strike.
“We will be challenging this blatantly unconstitutional order that violates the Charter rights of 10,000 flight attendants, 70% of whom are women, and 100% of whom are forced to do hours of unpaid work by their employer every time they come to work,” the union said in a statement.
CUPE’s national president Mark Hancock tore up the directive in front of a large crowd at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
“I’m expected to ask you to stand down. I’m expected to direct you to go back to work. I’m expected to end this strike,” he said.
“I stated pretty clearly when this strike would end. I said it clearly then and I will say it clearly now. This strike will end when we get a collective agreement that works for our members.”
Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Air Canada Company have been negotiating for around eight months.
The union invited Air Canada back to the table to “negotiate a fair deal.”
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board ordered that the term of the collective agreement between Air Canada and CUPE that expired at the end of March be extended to include the period beginning on April 1, 2025 and ending on the day on which the new collective agreement between the parties comes into effect.
Thumbnail photo credit: CUPE
