The union for 10,500 flight attendants poised to walk off the job Saturday has rejected Air Canada’s request to federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu for binding arbitration to settle the negotiation stalemate.
“We will not surrender our members’ bargaining rights under any circumstances,” said Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesperson Hugh Pouliot. “The mere prospect of ministerial intervention has had a chilling effect on Air Canada’s obligation to bargain in good faith.”
The statement shared with the Star, reads in part, “such a decision would reaffirm the principles of free collective bargaining and compel Air Canada to return to the bargaining table — where it ought to be — and engage meaningfully in negotiations, where it is likely that the parties may be able to reach an agreement.”
Late Friday, Hajdu released a statement demanding both sides stay at the table and “resolve this once and for all.” The jobs minister said she met with Air Canada and the union on Friday night and “urged them to work harder to reach a deal,” according to her  posted on X.
“It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made,” she said.Â
The airline started cancelling Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights Thursday night and expected to cancel 500 flights Friday affecting 100,000 travellers.
In a press conference Thursday, Mark Nasr, executive vice-president and COO of Air Canada, said the cancellations will affect 130,000 customers a day, including 25,000 Canadians who may be stranded abroad and that all flights would be paused by early Saturday.
Air Canada is “simply not the kind of system that we can start or stop at the push of a button,†Nasr said. “So in order to have a safe and orderly wind down, we need to begin now.â€
First cancellations were mostly long-haul international flights scheduled to depart Thursday night, Nasr said, before expanding to hit more than 100,000 travellers Friday, and culminating in a full shutdown at 1 a.m. Saturday.
“We’re cancelling on a daily basis (after Saturday) because obviously we’re working on trying to resolve the labour dispute,†said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, “the airline’s chief human resources officer. So every morning, at 8 a.m., the flights for the next day get cancelled.â€
The union also released a poll Friday, showing a majority of Canadians support the flight attendants and want the federal government to back off — even if it means travel disruptions.
Panicked would-be-passengers of cancelled flights — especially those stuck abroad, are sounding the alarm that once their booked flights are cancelled by Air Canada, they are being told there are no flights available through 120 separate airlines.
Air Canada is sending these emails to “deceive passengers” to give up their right to alternate transportation, said air passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs.
ScreenshotOne family based in Etobicoke and currently stranded in Portugal along with a three-year-old child, reached out to the Star in hopes of getting answers after Air Canada cancelled their flight that was scheduled to fly back to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ on Saturday.
Patrick Farrugia said Air Canada told him after attempts to rebook the family on alternate flights it could not find any flights from Portugal to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ within the next 72 hours.
Instead, the family were offered a refund, said Farrugia.
Mystified, Farrugia said he did a “simple Expedia search which showed options available at a high cost even though they are obligated to do so,” he said.
After discovering many available options, Farrugia said, “I tried to call Air Canada but they are not answering phone calls,” adding he is worried the airline “is not being honest with Canadians stranded abroad.”
Some customers are reporting emails from Air Canada are encouraging customers to opt to rebook their flights ahead of cancellations. Air Passenger rights advocate, Gabor Lukacs, said instead, customers should wait for their flight to be cancelled by Air Canada which is what then triggers the Air Passenger Protection Regulations under the law.Â
Screenshot, FacebookThe boilerplate statement Air Canada is sending customers as the airline cancels flights reads in part, “We’re searching for rebooking options on more than 120 carriers for up to two days after your cancelled flight. This may take some time.”
Next, customers receive an update from Air Canada that reads in part, “We’re very sorry but after searching for flights on over 120 airlines for three days before and after your cancelled flight, we’ve been unable to rebook you.”
A screenshot from Facebook Group, Air Passenger Rights, shows the message from Air Canada, notifying a customer her flights have been cancelled. The airline said after searching through 120 other airlines, there were no flights available.
Screenshoot“We have seen passengers receiving emails from Air Canada … telling them that there are no flights available on other airlines for their destination,” said passenger rights advocate, Gabor Lukacs.
“In the cases that I have seen, alternate flights were actually available,” Lukacs said, although for a higher price.”
Under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, Air Canada is “required to rebook passengers on competitor airlines,” Lukacs added, “if it is unable to rebook them on its own or partner airlines’ flights to depart within 9, or 48 hours of the original departure time, depending on whether we are before or during a strike.”
If you received such an email, do not accept a refund as it could affect your right to reimbursement of your expenses, said Lukacs.
“Instead, consider buying alternate transportation on your own, and then sending the bill to Air Canada — suing them in small claims court if necessary,” said Lukacs, “The fact that you are able to buy a ticket on another airline proves that Air Canada’s claim of no other flights being available was false and fraudulent.”
The poll, conducted by Abacus Data shows 88 per cent of surveyed Canadians believe “flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties including boarding, delays, and safety checks.â€
A further 59 per cent, believe Ottawa should respect flight attendants’ “right to take job action,†and 76 per cent, support raising their pay “to reflect the important safety role they play.â€
Only 19 per cent felt Air Canada’s wage offer is fair.
In an emailed statement to the Star, CUPE said Air Canada reinforces “the gender wage gap†by forcing Air Canada flight attendants — 70 per cent women — to accept a wage offer less than one-third what Air Canada offered its pilots less than a year ago.â€
“Air Canada’s male-dominated workforce received a significant cost-of-living wage increase,” said Natasha Stea, head of Montreal’s CUPE unit. “Why not the flight attendants?
In 2024, Air Canada gave pilots — a male-dominated profession — a 26 per cent wage increase in year one of their new contract.
However, in 2025, Air Canada is offering flight attendants eight per cent in year one of their new contract, and a 17.2 per cent wage increase overall, over the life of a four-year deal.
“Air Canada gave pilots a better wage increase in one year than flight attendants will get over the entire life of their four-year contract if Air Canada gets its way,” CUPE said.
Industry experts say there is still a dramatic pay gap between junior and experienced pilots.
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada on Wednesday urged Ottawa to intervene “to protect Canada’s economy and tourism sector.”
“A strike during the peak August travel month would be catastrophic for the tourism and travel industry,” the statement read.
The ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Region Board of Trade also urged binding arbitration.
“This type of disruption hurts Canada’s global reputation as a reliable trading partner at a time when it is essential that we reinforce our diverse international economic relations,” a statement ready. “If we can’t deliver goods to market on time, our partners will look for permanent alternatives.”
The organization is urging both parties to “continue negotiations to avoid further disruption for Canadian air travellers and businesses,” said ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Region Board of Trade President & CEO, Giles Gherson.
Air Canada did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
With files from Estella Ren
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