PTBOCanada Editorial: Air Canada Strike Gave Passengers More Than What They Bargained For
/With the Air Canada strike occurring since late last week, passengers — including myself — were hit with flight cancellations that left them stranded at their respective locations, leading to extra costs.
Air Canada’s lobby at Vancouver International Airport. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Why Was I In Vancouver?
I went on a personal trip with friends to Vancouver to compete in a prestigious Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game tournament for the weekend and had booked my Air Canada flight months in advance.
We were informed of a possible strike when we departed for our trip but were hopeful that we would be able to return home safely and in a timely manner.
A field of what a Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game field could look like. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Timeline of the Air Canada Strike
As of 12:58 a.m. on Saturday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) representing 10,000 flight attendants had declared a strike. All Air Canada flights were cancelled as a result — at least 124 — affecting over 500,000 customers as of Monday, said the airline.
This included all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations but flights by Air Canada Express — operated by third-party airlines Jazz and PAL — were not.
“We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada. “However, the disappointing conduct of CUPE’s negotiators and the union’s stated intention to launch a strike puts us in a position where our only responsible course of action is to provide certainty by implementing an orderly suspension of Air Canada’s and Air Canada Rouge’s operations through a lockout. As we have seen elsewhere in our industry with other labour disruptions, unplanned or uncontrolled shutdowns, such as we are now at risk of through a strike, can create chaos for travellers that is far, far worse.”
Air Canada strongly advised affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on another airline.
Patty Hajdu, the Federal Minister of Jobs and Families, instructed the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to use binding arbitration, as the board deemed CUPE’s strike unlawful and workers must return to work by Sunday at 2 p.m. EST.
“The Liberals have talked out of both sides of their mouths. They said the best place for this is at the bargaining table. They refused to correct this historic injustice through legislation,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE. “Now, when we’re at the bargaining table with an obstinate employer, the Liberals are violating our Charter rights to take job action and give Air Canada exactly what they want — hours and hours of unpaid labour from underpaid flight attendants, while the company pulls in sky-high profits and extraordinary executive compensation.”
Despite the order, CUPE refused to go back to work and continued striking. The union was fighting for Air Canada to stop unpaid work, as flight attendants were only compensated for their time from the moment the flight doors closed until they opened. CUPE workers also sought fair cost-of-living wage increases.
“We will be challenging this blatantly unconstitutional order that violates the Charter rights of 10,000 flight attendants, 70 per cent of whom are women, and 100 per cent of whom are forced to do hours of unpaid work by their employer every time they come to work,” according to a public statement released by CUPE.
Air Canada offered a deal that would have made their flight attendants the highest compensated in the country according to Rousseau.
“Our latest offer included a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years that would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada, along with provisions for ground pay and other work-life balance, career and pension improvements,” he said. “At the same time, we asked for no concessions from the union. Given this, while we remain available for discussions with CUPE, we have requested government-directed arbitration as we now view it as the only certain avenue to bring closure to bargaining and mitigate the impact on travellers, business and the Canadian economy.”
As the strike continued into Monday, CUPE said they were willing to work out a deal but had to be at the table. There was ‘no limit’ to how far CUPE would take negotiations, said Mark Hancock, CUPE national president.
“If it means folks like me going to jail, then so be it. If it means our union being fined, then so be it. We’re looking for a solution here,” he said.
A mediated tentative agreement was reached on Monday morning. The first flights are scheduled for Tuesday evening, but full, regular service may require seven to 10 days as aircraft and crew are out of position. Air Canada had some flights cancelled until the schedule is stabilized.
“The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption. Our priority now is to get them moving as quickly as possible,” said Rousseau. “Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex undertaking. Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days. I assure them that everyone at Air Canada is doing everything possible to enable them to travel soon.”
Outside Vancouver International Airport at the Air Canada Departures gate. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
What Did This Mean For Passengers?
Despite the return to flight service, stranded passengers had to pay for food, lodging, transportation and other expenditures during the strike. According to Mercer, Vancouver is the second-ranked City in Canada with the highest cost of living next to Toronto in 2024.
Splitting Airbnbs with friends still costs me hundreds of dollars over three to four days. Waiting at the airport was a budget option for some stranded travellers. Still, Air Canada was not doing much to help, according to a Peterborough residents who went on the same trip.
“It felt as if the Air Canada attendants who were not on strike did not want to help or offer solutions,” said an anonymous resident. “They handed out pamphlets and did not want to talk to anyone who was at the airport. (They) did not offer any voucher for hotel stays or meals outside of the $15 auto-generated meal voucher email.”
“Air Canada has proven itself utterly incapable of basic responsibility — no commitment, no care and no planning,” said Ian Shields. “They’ve completely dropped the ball, screwed over their customers and left me to fend for myself in a foreign place miles away from home without a shred of concern for my well-being.”
When flights had been cancelled on Sunday, Air Canada said they attempted to get customers rebooked on other flights. Under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), the airline is obligated to do so.
“We’re searching for rebooking options on more than 120 carriers for up to three days after your cancelled flight. This may take some time. If you don’t want to wait and you prefer to search options yourself or cancel your booking to receive a refund, please use the button below,” said Air Canada in an email.
However, none of my travelmates or out-of-town friends who attended the event were successful in rebooking their flights.
Air Canada had offered refund options for those affected that included non-refundable fares.
“When it came to rebooking flights, there were ‘none available’ but when given flight options that were available, the answer was ‘we aren’t partnered with them so we cannot book that flight.’” said the former Peterborough resident. “It left myself having to make a choice of spending upwards of $2,000 on a new flight, trying to book a hotel and staying for an extended period of time until they could rebook me or taking a long alternative route to stay cost-effective to be able to get home in a reasonable amount of time.”
I initially bit the bullet on Monday evening to book a non-refundable flight back to Detroit with a different airline on Thursday night to arrive on Friday morning. I had a chartered ride home from there. The flight had cost $600, which was considered a cheaper flight at the time.
Prices for other airlines from Monday to Wednesday had skyrocketed. I had friends travelling back to cities such as Ottawa or Montréal, which would cost upwards of $1,000. Thankfully, more flights had opened up and I was able to book a return flight with Air Canada at no additional cost for Thursday. I also called the booking agent for my flight and despite the ticket being initially non-refundable, I was able to get all my money back with a sigh of relief.
Air Canada is offering reimbursement assistance for those affected by the labour action according to their website.
Passengers must fill out a form with flight details and a reason to be eligible.
The form can only be filled if it was booked directly with the airline, completed part of their flight with Air Canada and/or needs reimbursement for an alternative mode of transportation.
Passengers are asked not to fill out the form if they have booked through Aeroplan, a travel agent, an online travel agency or another airline.
According to their website, reimbursement can be up to $12,500 under the convention if the individual can prove losses or damage.
What’s Next For the Flight Attendants?
The 10,000 flight attendants will vote next week on the tentative agreement to raise wages and establish a pay structure for time worked when aircraft are on the ground.
All members will receive a three per cent raise next year, with a 2.5 per cent raise in 2027 and a 2.75 per cent raise in 2028.
The deal must be ratified by the flight attendants, with the vote taking place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 6.
Air Canada Boeing plane minutes away from landing in Toronto. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
