Striking Air Canada Flight Attendants Defy Back-to-Work Order

Sunday August 17, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |

Air Canada’s flight attendants on Sunday, August 17, refused a government-backed labor board’s order to return to work, forcing the airline to delay restarting its operations and leaving its passengers in limbo, Reuters News Agency reported.

The Canadian Union of Public Employee said the 10,000 Air Canada attendants it represents would remain on strike, calling the order unconstitutional and “designed to protect the airline’s profit.” Instead, it invited Air Canada – the country’s largest airline – back to the table to “negotiate a fair deal.”

In response, the airline said it would delay plans to restart operations from Sunday until Monday evening.

The refusal by the union to obey the order left many travelers at Toronto Pearson International Airport confused and frustrated on Sunday afternoon. Many of them were camped out in airport lounges, uncertain whether when and if flights would resume or whether Air Canada would make tentative arrangements.

“We are kind of left to figure it out for ourselves and fend for ourselves with no recourse or options provided by Air Canada at this time,” said Elizabeth Fourney of Vancouver.

Francesca Tondini, a 50-year-old from Italy, said she was about to return home after visiting Canada when her flight was canceled on Saturday and again on Sunday.

When she asked Air Canada when the flight would finally depart, the airline responded, “maybe tomorrow, maybe Tuesday, maybe Friday, maybe Saturday – they don’t know!,” she said.

The flight attendants began their strike early on Saturday morning, after negotiations that had dragged on for months reached an impasse. In anticipation, the airline canceled most of its 700 daily flights, forcing more than 100,000 travelers to scramble for alternatives.

Within hours of the strike declaration, the Canada Industrial Relations Board complied with a request by Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu and ordered binding arbitration. The Canada Labour Code gives the government the power to ask the CIRB to impose such an order in the interest of protecting the economy.