Labour board declares Air Canada flight attendants’ strike illegal, Carney urges to resolve quickly

August 18, 2025

RED FM News Desk

In a major development affecting thousands of travellers, Canada’s labour relations board has declared the strike by Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants illegal. The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), in a decision issued Monday morning, stated that the defiance of a back-to-work order by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) on Sunday was “unlawful.”

meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his disappointment that a deal couldn’t be reached after eight months of negotiations, urging both sides to resolve the situation quickly to end the travel chaos.

The CIRB decision, issued in response to an application by Air Canada, orders union leaders to ensure their members are back at work by noon on Monday. Jennifer Webster, the CIRB’s vice-chairperson, stated in the directive that union members must “resume the performance of their duties immediately and refrain from engaging in unlawful strike activities.”

The strike, which began early Saturday morning, has grounded Canada’s largest airline, halting approximately 700 flights a day. In a direct impact on its business, Air Canada suspended its financial guidance for the third quarter and full year, citing the strike and the suspension of flights.

The conflict began after negotiations broke down on Friday, leading flight attendants to walk off the job on Saturday. In an attempt to resolve the dispute, Labour Minister Patty Hajdu used Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order an end to the stoppage and referred the matter to the CIRB for binding arbitration. The union, however, defied the back-to-work order and launched a legal challenge against the move.

The core of the dispute revolves around wages. Air Canada has offered a 17.2% pay increase over four years, but the union argues that this offer fails to account for inflation over the past decade. They also insist that their members must be fairly compensated for work performed before a plane takes off.

While the airline stated it plans to resume operations Monday evening, it remains unclear how this will happen. The union has maintained that the strike will continue until a “fair contract” is reached.