Air Canada Flight Attendants Defy Return to Work Order
MONTREAL — In a bold move, Air Canada has suspended its plans to restart operations on Sunday as the union representing 10,000 flight attendants has announced their defiance of the return to work order.
The strike has already caused chaos for approximately 130,000 travelers worldwide each day during the peak summer travel season.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board had initially ordered airline staff to return to work by 2pm on Sunday after government intervention, and Air Canada had intended to resume flights that evening.
However, Canada’s largest airline has now declared that flights will not resume until Monday evening. In a statement, Air Canada accused the union of “illegally directing its flight attendant members to defy a direction from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board.”
Despite the orders, union members are standing firm and refusing to return to work until their demands are met, claiming the return to work order is unconstitutional.
Canadian Union of Public Employees national president Mark Hancock made a strong statement outside Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, declaring, “Our members are not going back to work. We are saying no.”
Hancock tore up a copy of the back-to-work order outside the airport’s departures terminal, where union members were picketing on Sunday morning. He made it clear that they would not be returning on Tuesday either.
Chants of “Don’t blame me, blame AC” echoed outside Pearson as flight attendants made their voices heard.
“Like many Canadians, the Minister is monitoring this situation closely. The Canada Industrial Relations Board is an independent tribunal,” stated Jennifer Kozelj, a spokeswoman for Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu.
Less than 12 hours after the initial strike, Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu issued a directive ordering the 10,000 flight attendants back to work, emphasizing the importance of not risking the economy during a time of uncertainty with unprecedented tariffs imposed by the US. The work stoppage was referred to the Canada Industrial Relations Board by Hajdu.
Air Canada confirmed that the CIRB has extended the existing collective agreement until a new one is determined by an arbitrator.
The dispute between the airline and CUPE intensified on Friday as the union rejected Air Canada’s proposal for government-directed arbitration. This process would involve a third-party mediator deciding the terms of a new contract.
Hajdu clarified that her Liberal government is not anti-union and stressed that the two sides are deadlocked in negotiations.
Passengers affected by the strike are eligible for a full refund through the airline’s website or mobile app. Air Canada also pledged to provide alternate travel options with other airlines, although immediate rebooking is not guaranteed due to high demand during the summer travel season.
Contract talks between Air Canada and CUPE have been ongoing for eight months, with no tentative agreement reached. Disagreements persist on issues of pay and unpaid work performed by flight attendants during downtime.
Air Canada’s latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, aiming to make flight attendants the best compensated in Canada. However, the union rejected the proposal, citing inflation concerns and the need for a higher initial raise. — Euronews
