August 5,2025
RED FM News Desk
Air Canada flight attendants have overwhelmingly voted—99.7 per cent in favour—to authorize strike action if needed, their union announced Tuesday, opening the door for a possible walkout as early as this month.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) stated it could issue a 72-hour strike notice starting August 16, following stalled contract talks with the airline in July.
While the strike vote gives legal grounds for job action, it doesn’t automatically mean flight attendants will strike. CUPE represents over 10,000 flight attendants at both Air Canada and its leisure airline, Air Canada Rouge.
Air Canada has not yet commented on the development. “Flight attendants have spoken loud and clear — it’s time for the company to take these negotiations seriously,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE.
Flight attendants in both Canada and the U.S. are pushing for better pay and compensation that covers all hours worked, not just time spent in the air. They argue that current contracts fail to account for pre-boarding and other duties.
At United Airlines, flight attendants recently rejected a tentative contract in late July, stating it fell short of addressing their key concerns.
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