Canada’s federal government has stepped in to halt a strike by Air Canada flight attendants after thousands of flights were grounded and more than 100,000 travelers were affected. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration and ordered an immediate end to the labor dispute.
Flight attendants began striking early Saturday following months of stalled contract talks. The main bone of contention was compensation for unpaid work, such as time spent on the ground between flights and during boarding. This issue, known as “groundwork,” significantly increased labor costs for attendants but was excluded from standard pay.
The union representing over 10,000 attendants strongly opposed government intervention, arguing it undermines workers’ rights to job action. Meanwhile, businesses and travel-dependent sectors urged Ottawa to act swiftly to contain economic fallout.
While the arbitration order is intended to restore services, officials warned that normal operations could take several days—or even a week—before resuming fully. Both Air Canada management and union leaders are now required to negotiate through an arbitrator to reach a binding agreement.
