Air Canada says CIRB declares flight attendant strike ‘unlawful’

Air Canada (ACDVF) said the Canada Industrial Relations Board has declared ongoing strike activity by the company’s 10,000 flight attendants is illegal and has ordered the leadership of the Canadian Union of Public Employees to direct its members to return to work. Following a hearing on August 17, the CIRB declared that CUPE’s strike is unlawful. It ordered the union leadership, which authorized the strike, to immediately tell its members to end the work stoppage. It also directed individual members of the union to cease all unlawful activities and return to work. In its ruling the board declared: The union and its officers are ordered to immediately cease all activities that declare or authorize an unlawful strike of its members and to direct the members of the bargaining unit to resume the performance of their duties; The members of the union’s bargaining unit are directed to resume the performance of their duties immediately and to refrain from engaging in unlawful strike activities; The union and its officers shall provide written public notice, either through its website or other means, to all members by 12:00 pm EDT on August 18, 2025, that it has revoked its declaration or authorization of strike activities and that all members are required to resume the performance of their duties. Air Canada’s intended restart of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, which have been grounded since August 16 by CUPE’s labour disruption, was prevented on August 17 by the CUPE leadership’s unlawful strike activities. The airline now estimates 500,000 customers’ flights have been cancelled as a result. Air Canada regrets this impact on its customers and is fully committed to returning to service as soon as possible.