Over 100,000 travellers stranded as Air Canada staff strike over ‘poverty wages’

More than 100,000 travellers worldwide remain stranded after Air Canada flight attendants defied a government order to return to work.

Around 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job on Saturday in a dispute over what they describe as “poverty wages”. In response, Air Canada said it would begin locking striking staff out of airports.

The airline’s Vancouver-Sydney service on Friday night was the first Australia-bound flight to be cancelled.

The Canadian government intervened to end the disruption, ordering attendants back to work. While Air Canada said it planned to resume flights by Sunday evening, that timeline appeared uncertain after the flight attendants’ union told Reuters it would challenge the order in court.

State of play

The dispute dates back to March, with attendants demanding pay for duties performed on the ground – such as boarding and between flights – which are currently unpaid.

Under Air Canada’s proposed deal, senior attendants would earn an average of CA$87,000 annually (around AU$96,657), with 20 per cent earning CA$90,000 or more. By comparison, the average Canadian salary is CA$71,100, according to talent.com.

Canada’s federal Employment Minister Patty Hajdu said, in a statement on Saturday, that it was clear talks had stalled.

“After eight months of negotiations, and after meeting with both parties last night and urging them to work hard to reach a deal, it is disappointing to have to conclude today that Air Canada and CUPE flight attendants remain at an impasse.”

Hajdu stressed the scale of disruption.

“The enormous impact of a nationwide labour disruption of this scale is already being felt by Canadians and visitors to our country,” Hajdu said. “This impact will grow significantly with a prolonged dispute.”

She added that, in a year already marked by economic uncertainty, further disruption was untenable.

Despite the back-to-work order, the union insists the directive is unconstitutional – leaving travel plans uncertain, particularly for Australians.

Takeaway for advisers

Air Canada said customers with cancelled flights will be notified directly. Passengers are advised not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed flight on another airline.

The carrier is offering full refunds, travel credits, or rebooking on other airlines – though capacity remains limited during the peak summer travel season.

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