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Air Canada Flight Attendants End Illegal Strike, Reach Tentative Deal
19 Aug
Summary
- Union leaders reach deal to end 3-day strike
- Strike grounded hundreds of flights, impacting 500,000 customers
- Tentative agreement marks "transformational change" for flight attendants
On August 19th, 2025, Air Canada's flight attendants have reached a tentative deal to end their illegal 3-day strike. The strike, which began last week, had grounded hundreds of flights and impacted around 500,000 customers.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the union representing the flight attendants, said the agreement was reached after over 9 hours of talks with the help of a mediator. CUPE stated that the deal marks a "transformational change" for its members, who had disobeyed two federal return-to-work orders during the strike.
The key issue that had stalled negotiations was the matter of "boarding pay" - the compensation for work done before takeoff. CUPE said that "unpaid work is over" in reference to this long-standing dispute.
Air Canada has now begun the process of gradually restarting its operations, with some flights taking off on Tuesday evening. However, the airline's President and CEO, Michael Rousseau, warned that it could take a week or more to fully resume service, as restarting a major carrier is a complex undertaking.
The details of the tentative agreement have not been disclosed, as the deal still needs to be ratified by the union membership. But the resolution of this contentious labor dispute is seen as a positive development for both Air Canada and its flight attendants.
