The union representing roughly 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants has served a 72-hour strike notice, setting the stage for a potential walkout at 12:58 a.m. ET this Saturday if contract talks fail to produce a deal.
The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says negotiations have yielded progress on some issues but remain deadlocked on what it calls “poverty wages” and unpaid work during periods when planes are not in the air. The union said Air Canada’s refusal to address these core concerns forced it to take the step, rejecting the airline’s proposal for binding arbitration in favour of securing a deal members can vote on.
Air Canada responded to the strike notice with its own lockout notice, and announced that talks have reached an impasse, with the two sides still far apart. The airline says it will alert passengers of any cancellations in advance via email and text, offering full refunds where applicable.
With neither party showing signs of backing down, the threat of a weekend shutdown looms large for Canada’s largest airline.