Air Canada Resumes Operations After Historic Labor Agreement Ends Strike
Air Canada reached a tentative agreement with its 10,000 flight attendants union on August 19, 2025, ending a four-day strike that grounded all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights. The historic deal guarantees ground pay for flight attendants – compensation for work performed while aircraft are on the ground, resolving one of the major issues that drove the strike.
“Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power,” said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in a statement. The strike disrupted travel plans for approximately 500,000 passengers and highlighted gender pay disparities in the airline industry.
- Flight attendants (mainly women) received only an 8% wage increase in 2025
- Pilots (mostly male) got 26% in 2024
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau stated that full restoration of operations may require seven to ten days due to the complexity of restarting a major carrier. The agreement came after the union defied government orders to return to work, with CUPE leaders stating they would face jail time rather than comply with what they called “unconstitutional” directives.