Air Canada flight attendants will picket at four major airports during a national day of action

August 11, 2025

RED FM News Desk

Air Canada flight attendants will stage demonstrations at airports in four major Canadian cities on Monday, part of what their union is calling a national day of action.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says picket lines are planned for Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, and Calgary International Airport, all starting at 1 p.m. ET.

The union says the events aim to highlight what it describes as “poverty wages” and unpaid work during times when flight attendants are on board but the plane is not in the air.

The demonstrations come as CUPE’s Air Canada component returns to bargaining with the airline following a strike mandate vote in which members supported job action by 99.7 per cent. That vote, which concluded last Tuesday, means flight attendants could walk off the job as early as Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m., provided they give 72 hours’ notice.

Contract negotiations have been ongoing since the start of the year, but the two sides entered a strike mandate after completing a conciliation process without a deal.

In a statement last week, Air Canada said it remains hopeful an agreement can be reached in time to avoid disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers.