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Air Canada, the largest airline in the country, started to hang thefts Thursday morning, before a potential strike by his on -board agents.
Hundreds of flights should be canceled by the end of the week if the on -board agents leave their jobs as planned.
Air Canada and the union of on -board agents were struggling to agree on an agreement that would increase the remuneration of airline workers.
Here is what we know about the dispute of work and its potential consequences:
What happens to Air Canada?
The Montreal -based airline has reached an impasse with the union representing more than 10,500 on -board agents in a remuneration dispute, despite eight months of negotiations. The company and the union gave opinions that the disruptions of the airline services will start on Saturday.
What services will be allocated and when?
Air Canada said it would gradually reduce theft over three days, starting with dozens of cancellations Thursday and about 500 more Friday evening. At 1 a.m., Toronto time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, all flights will be interrupted.
The freight services will also be affected, but the regional flights of Air Canada Express will work as usual, as they rely on contracts with other airlines.
However, these partners only manage 20% of Air Canada’s daily passengers. Air Canada and Red Air Canada, a subsidiary that offers low -cost flights, transport around 130,000 passengers per day.
In response to the ranging planned for the start on Saturday, Air Canada announced its own “lockout”, a strategy that prevents employees from entering work in order to force them to the negotiation table.
The airline warned that once the lockout at the start, around 1:30 am Toronto time (05:30 GMT), it may not be able to quickly restore flights.
Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s director of operations, explained that a restart, “in the best circumstances, will take a full week to finish”.
Why are the on-board agents striking?
Salaries are the main point of collage of negotiations.
The Canadian Public Employee Syndicate (CUP) said its negotiators are not satisfied with the wage increases offered by Air Canada and other remuneration conditions, and they therefore refused an offer to make discussions on contracts in arbitration.
“In the past nine months, we have presented solid and unpaid -based work -based proposals, all rooted in equity and industry standards,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUP, in a declaration. “Air Canada’s response to our proposals shows a clear thing: they are not interested in solving these critical problems.”
According to the union, the airline has refused to increase the remuneration of on -board agents to meet industry standards, track the pace of inflation or equal the federal minimum wage.
Since 2000, departure wages for on -board agents with Air Canada have only increased by $ 3 an hour, while inflation has climbed 69% during the same period, the union said.
We are in solidarity with the Air Canada on -board agents who have finished with unpaid work and poverty wages!
📢 fair package. Dignity at work. No more apologies!
Learn more → https://t.co/yqvqewtbpc#Aircanadastrike– Cup Ontario (@Cupeontario) August 12, 2025
Air Canada, however, said The union refused a proposal sent on Monday which included a 38% salary increase over four years, as well as other advantages and protections.
But the union challenged the advantages of this agreement. Instead, he explained that on -board agents suffered a 9% drop in their last contract, which means that an increase of 8% compared to the first year of the New Deal is inadequate to recover costs.
“It is, in fact, a salary reduction,” said CUPE in his press release.
The union also argues that Air Canada currently does not offer “ground remuneration”, a duration of the industry which describes the remuneration given for all the services provided before the doors of an airplane.
This work can include assistance provided to airport travelers, luggage handling and helping travelers settle in their seats while the plane is preparing to push the airport door.
“(For) each of our security checks regulated by the federal government, which we do an hour before boarding, we are not compensated. We are not compensated for boarding and moving it,” said Shanyn Elliott, chairman of the CUP strike committee, at News Outlet National.
“It is on average about 35 hours a month that we are not paid.”
The union said it was looking for full salary for every hour worked, as well as increases in the cost of living.
The field salary, also called “insertion of boarding”, was also a key question in negotiations to American airlines, because many carriers do not indemnate on -board agents at their hourly rate during crucial periods before or after the flight.
How many passengers will be affected and what will they obsess in return?
The airline, which serves 64 countries with a fleet of 259 planes, said that the closure poses “a major risk” for the company and its employees. The disturbance could have an impact on 130,000 passengers each day, including 25,000 Canadians, at the height of the summer travel season.
Air Canada At nearly 430 daily flights Between Canada and the United States, reaching more than 50 American airports. It also provides an interior service at 50 Canadian airports and on average more than 500 daily flights.
Airlines have said that passengers whose flights are canceled will be informed and may receive full online refund.
The airline also organized with other Canadian and international carriers to provide alternative travel options as far as possible. But he pointed out that some flight alternatives may not be achievable.
“Since other carriers are already very full due to the peak in summer travel, securing this capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible,” said the airline.
How did the government respond?
Air Canada said that he had requested government -led arbitration to resolve the situation.
Under the Canada Labor Code, the government’s Minister of Labor has the power to intervene and trigger the taxation of an agreement through the Canada Industrial Relations Council.
This, in turn, could force on -board officers at work. The union has request The Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney “refrain from intervening”. He argued that the government’s action would be to entrust the negotiations in favor of Air Canada.
“Why would an employer take the trouble to negotiate if he knew that the government will bail them out when negotiations become difficult?” The union wrote in a letter published on social networks.
Canada Minister of Labor Patty Hajdu has urged the two parties to return to the negotiation table. “To be clear: the offers that are made at the negotiation table are the best,” said Hajdu.
“I urge the two parties to put their differences aside, to return to the negotiation table and to do it now for the many travelers who count on you,” she added.
Please consult my declaration on the latest development between Air Canada and Air Canada: pic.twitter.com/hqqj5jdykn
– Patty Hajdu (@pattyhajdu) August 14, 2025
