The Air Canada flight attendant strike is expected to begin overnight between Friday and Saturday.
A statement from Air Canada Friday (Aug. 15) said that a planned strike by flight attendants is expected to start around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Friday in an effort to resolve the labour dispute. She said she urged them to work harder to reach a deal and that both Air Canada and CUPE need to "stay at the table and resolve this once and for all."
"It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts."
In a statement from CUPE Friday, it said the union has "respectfully urged" Hajdu to not intervene pursuant to section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, which would allow collective bargaining to continue and allow the union and Air Canada to negotiate a resolution.
"The integrity of the collective bargaining process depends on allowing the parties to reach a resolution through free and fair negotiations, without undue interference," the statement reads.
CUPE represents about 10,000 flight attendants between Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.
Air Canada's statement added that to "provide our customers with certainty," the company has started a phased wind-down of most operations to be completed over the next two days.
Air Canada says if people are booked to travel between Aug. 15 and 19, and would like to make alternate travel arrangements, people can change their flight for free if:
• They purchased an Air Canada ticket or redeemed points for an Aeroplan flight reward no later than August 14, 2025
More to come.
