Air Canada Strike: 10,000 Flight Attendants Bring Air Travel to a Standstill
The strike by 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants has paralyzed air travel in the country. Since Saturday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the union representing the flight crew, has refused to return to work despite an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). This refusal has led the airline to cancel all its flights "until further notice".
Air Canada has already cancelled over 2,300 flights in one week, including 1,153 domestic and 1,165 international flights, according to Cirium data. On Monday, an additional 550 flights were cancelled, affecting nearly 500,000 passengers in total. The airline's website has advised travelers not to go to the airport and is offering free rebooking for flights between August 23 and September 30.
The social conflict stems from the lack of compensation for boarding time, a long-standing demand of flight attendants. Air Canada only pays its employees when the aircraft doors are closed, a common practice in the industry but contested by unions, which are calling for alignment with new standards implemented in the United States, where some airlines like Delta and American Airlines now pay for this work time.
