Air Canada Flight Attendants Ignore Back-to-Work Orders, Continue Strike Amid Wage Dispute

Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), have chosen to persist with their industrial action, disregarding federal orders mandating a return to work. This decision was announced on Sunday.

In a recent committee update, the union communicated, “You remain on strike and locked out. Remember that there is no obligation to communicate with the employer, nor any responsibility to check your work emails or respond to reassignments or reserve duties during this lockout period.”

The federal government’s intervention, initiated under Section 107 of the Canada Labor Code, was aimed at restoring normal operations. On Saturday, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Patty Hajdu, directed the Canadian Labor Relations Board (CLRB) to instruct Air Canada and its employees to resume their duties for the sake of industrial peace, safeguarding national interests, and the economy.

Air Canada requested federal intervention on Tuesday utilizing this provision, which permits ministerial direction to an arbitrator in dispute resolution. According to CUPE’s statement released on Friday, this was the case.

On Sunday, Air Canada declared its intention to restart flights. The strike vote, held last week among the Air Canada component of CUPE members, resulted in a resounding 99.7% approval. The workers walked off the job around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, demanding wage increases and compensation for work performed when aircraft are grounded.

Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada component of CUPE, asserted on Saturday that the Canadian government was infringing upon charter rights by taking action against the strike, essentially providing Air Canada with free labor from underpaid flight attendants while the company continues to generate sky-high profits and executive compensation packages.

Air Canada has claimed that it offered a 38% total compensation increase over four years and an hourly wage hike of 12% to 16% in the first year. However, Hajdu countered these allegations, stating that the Canadian government is not anti-union and that both Air Canada and union workers appear to be at an impasse, requiring external mediation to finalize outstanding issues.