Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, was involved in a high‑profile labour dispute with its flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), following failed collective bargaining negotiations and a nationwide illegal strike in August 2025 that disrupted travel across the country.
After the federal government intervened under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order the resumption of operations, and during CUPE’s subsequent illegal strike, the parties agreed to a process for binding interest arbitration. The arbitrator ultimately upheld the core wage framework negotiated by Air Canada as part of the parties’ broader agreement to end the illegal strike. The decision confirmed key economic terms for mainline flight attendants and brought finality to a contentious national dispute, including rejecting CUPE’s claims of unpaid work.
Fasken represented Air Canada with team led by Jackie VanDerMeulen, including Gillian Round and Andréa Morin.
Jurisdiction
- Ontario
