Air Canada flight attendants defy order, 100,000 passengers stranded

Air Canada flight attendants remained on strike Sunday, defying a government labor board’s order to return to work and forcing Canada’s largest airline to delay its restart plans.

The walkout, which began shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, grounded most of the carrier’s 700 daily flights and stranded more than 100,000 passengers.

The airline had hoped to restart service Sunday evening, but scrapped those plans after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) urged its members to defy a Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) order to return to work. 

“Approximately 240 flights scheduled to operate beginning this afternoon have now been canceled,” the airline said in a press release on Sunday.

UNITED AIRLINES, JETBLUE PARTNERSHIP GETS TRUMP ADMIN CLEARANCE TO FLY

Air Canada flight attendants and supporters during a strike at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.  (Arlyn McAdorey/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Unionized Air Canada flight attendants formed picket lines outside major airports, demanding better pay and working conditions.

CUPE, which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants, said on Saturday its members are paid only when an aircraft is moving — from pushback to arrival — and receive no pay for boarding, deplaning or ground delays.

Reuters reported that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government intervened Saturday, asking the CIRB to impose binding arbitration. The board issued the order, which the union opposed.

Canadian labor law allows the government to ask the CIRB to impose binding arbitration to protect the economy.

JETBLUE EXPANDS FLORIDA SERVICE, ADDS MORE INTERNATIONAL ROUTES

Pilots show their support for Air Canada flight attendants participating in a general strike at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on August 16, 2025, in Montreal, Canada. (Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The government can now seek a court order to enforce compliance or request an expedited hearing.

The labor union is demanding full compensation for this unpaid ground time.

CUPE provided a statement to FOX Business on Sunday regarding its decision to remain on strike.

“We will be challenging this blatantly unconstitutional order that violates the Charter rights of 10,517 flight attendants, 70% of whom are women, and 100% of whom are forced to do hours of unpaid work by their employer every time they come to work,” the union said. “We invite Air Canada back to the table to negotiate a fair deal, rather than relying on the federal government to do their dirty work for them when bargaining gets a little bit tough.”

AIR CANADA STRIKE GROUNDS FLIGHTS, CAUSING TRAVEL CHAOS FOR 130,000…