Air Canada flight attendants serve airline with 72-hour strike notice

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents Air Canada flight attendants, has given Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge a 72-hour strike notice after the two sides couldn’t agree to the terms of a bargaining agreement. This means that flight attendants can walk off Saturday morning at 12:58a.m. ET.

According to CUPE, Air Canada also issued a lockout notice to the union at 1:30a.m. ET this morning.

Since December 2024, the Bargaining Committee has been at the table with Air Canada, trying to get a fair agreement. However, the union has indicated that Air Canada refused to address their issues.

The union also said that when they asked flight attendants for a strike mandate, that it was 99.7 per cent in favour, definitely showing that flight attendants are united and want to strike.

“When we stood strong together, Air Canada didn’t come to the table in good faith. Instead, they called on the federal government to step in and take those rights away. This is exactly why our solidarity matters. We believe our government must uphold the principles it is sworn to protect, not undermine them. We call on the Liberal government to respect our right to take job action in pursuit of a fair contract,” reports the union in its post.

The airline said if there is a stoppage, it would notify customers whose flights are potentially cancelled and they would be eligible for a full refund, which they could receive through the website or Air Canada mobile app.

Source: CUPE, CTV News