August 19, 2025 | 02:35 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Air Canada and the union representing 10,000 striking flight attendants resumed talks late Monday in Toronto, their first meeting since crews walked off the job over the weekend in a dispute over pay and unpaid work.
The strike has entered its fourth day, forcing the cancellation of 700 daily flights and leaving about 130,000 travelers a day stranded at the peak of the summer season.
Airline staff demand pay for ground work
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said discussions began with mediator William Kaplan but vowed flight attendants would not return to work until Air Canada addresses wages and ground duties, such as boarding passengers, for which they are currently not paid.
Currently, the flight attendants are paid only when they are flying.
Air Canada's unionized flight attendants walked off the job on Saturday after contract talks collapsed.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board has deemed the strike unlawful.
Air Canada's chief executive, Michael Rousseau, defended the airline's offer of a 38% compensation increase over four years.
He acknowledged that there was a "big gap" with union demands.
"We're always open to listen and have a conversation," he said.
Strike turns into three-way standoff
Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu called for negotiations and a quick labor deal. Hajdu also increased pressure on Air Canada by announcing a probe into airline pay.
With the union refusing the federal labor board's order to return to work, the issue has evolved into a three-way standoff among the airline, workers and the government.
"We're looking for a solution here. Our members want a solution here, but a solution has to be found at the bargaining table," CUPE President Mark Hancock said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney urged both sides to resolve the dispute quickly, saying hundreds of thousands of passengers are being "disrupted by this action."
Air Canada said rolling cancellations would now extend into Tuesday afternoon. The airline had canceled more than 2,500 flights and saw its shares fall nearly 3% since Thursday.
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