Air Canada and its flight attendants’ union say contract talks will resume in the next couple days with both parties indicating there’s plenty of time to reach a deal.
But the clock is ticking, and a strike could begin on 16AUG, 2025.
The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees on 05AUG announced that 99.7% of its members have voted to allow union officials to call a strike if they feel it’s necessary.
A union spokesperson told Open Jaw a 72-hour strike notice could go out as early as 13AUG, 2025, which means a strike could begin on 16AUG at 12:01 am EDT.
Air Canada officials say there is “more than enough time” to reach an agreement.
“Air Canada is determined to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement that recognizes the contributions of its Flight Attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company,” the airline said in a statement on its website.
Union officials agree, but with almost 100% approval for the strike, they were given a strong hand in bargaining, and it’s likely there will be some tough, late-night sessions to come.
“A strike is always the last option, and our goal is still to reach a new contract at the bargaining table,” a union spokesperson said recently.
The union’s position is reflected in strong comments following the vote outcome.
"The vote reflects the deep frustration of flight attendants after months of negotiations without result, due to the airline's refusal to fairly negotiate on key issues like unpaid work, work rules, and poverty-level wages," the union said in a press release issued on 05AUG.
"The company would rather drag their feet than negotiate on the things that matter to our members," said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE.
“Now, flight attendants have had a chance to weigh in and tell the company it’s time to get serious about negotiating.”
The current contract for Air Canada flight attendants was negotiated in 2015 and expired at the end of March, 2025. Contract talks have been ongoing since the start of the year.
The union, which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants, says it’s looking for an end to hours of unpaid work. The union says its members have lost “significant purchasing power” and that it is negotiating for higher wages and an “end to the abuse of unpaid work.”
There is precedent for a last-minute deal. Air Canada’s pilots nearly went on strike last year following a tough round of negotiations between the Air Line Pilots Association and the airline. A strike was averted at the last second, and a new collective agreement was ratified by pilots last October.
Pilots received a 42% pay hike over four years in last year’s deal, but that agreement came at a time when the Canadian airline industry was riding fairly high. With Trump tariffs strongly impacting Canadian travel to the US, Air Canada recently announced its profits dropped significantly in the second quarter of this year, falling from $410 million in QW of 2024 to $186 million in Q2 of this year.
An Air Canada insider told Open Jaw that a management reorganization has been undertaken by the airline, and that some managers have been stripped of their “senior” titles.
