Travel chaos amid intensifying Air Canada row – as union chiefs make dramatic new claim

RISK OF JAIL TIME

Leaders of the union strike against Air Canada have said that they would rather risk going to jail rather than have their cabin crews forced back to work by the federal labour board, intensifying the battle that has seen hundreds of thousands of travellers severely impacted during the summer tourist season. Pic: Canadian Press/Shutterstock

STRIKES SET TO CONTINUE

The Canadian Union of Public Employees has said that the strike will continue until the carrier negotiates a deal on wages and unpaid work, after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) declared the strike unlawful. The deadline set by the board for staff to return to work has now expired, with no union action taken to end the strike. Pic: R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

'WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION HERE'

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, CUPE national president Mark Hancock said: ‘If it means folks like me going to jail, then so be it. If it means our union being fined, then so be it. We're looking for a solution here.’ Pic: Nick Lachance/Toronto Star via Getty Images

CARNEY PUSHES FOR SOLUTION

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday pleaded with both sides in the row to come to a solution as his nation faces a tariff row with the United States. He told reporters in Ottawa on Monday: ‘We are in a situation where literally hundreds of thousands of Canadians and visitors to our country are being disrupted by this action. I urge both parties to resolve this as quickly as possible.’ Pic: Arlyn McAdorey/Bloomberg via Getty Images

AIR CANADA SHARES DOWN

The third day of the strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants has left a significant number of passengers stranded in airports across Canada and beyond, leading Air Canada to suspend its third-quarter and full-year 2025 guidance, sending shares down by approximately 1%. Pic: ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images

STAFF WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

The air carrier, which usually carries around 130,000 passengers each day, is part of the global Star Alliance and had planned to start ramping up operations on Sunday evening. A message that was sent by Air Canada to cabin crew and seen by Reuters detailed how staff would be held accountable for defying the board’s order to return to work. Pic: ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images

'THERE IS NO LOCKOUT IN PLACE'

Speaking to Reuters, Air Canada Vice President of in-flight service Andrew Tiu said that union bosses had not explained to staff that a failure to return to work would result in them being held personally accountable. He commented: ‘To be clear, there is no lockout in place, and the continued strike is illegal.’ Pic: Cole Burston/Getty Images

STAFF ASK FOR AIR TRANSAT RATES

Flight attendants working for the airline are currently on strike for wages similar to those earned by cabin crews at fellow Canadian airline Air Transat, and to be fully paid for work on the ground, like boarding and dealing with passengers. Pic: Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)

FULL REFUNDS FOR PASSENGERS

Due to the volume of flight cancellations, the airline is also providing a full refund upon request for the unused portion of tickets purchased on or before August 15, 2025, for travel with Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge between August 16 and August 17, 2025. Pic: ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images

WHAT DID AIR CANADA OFFER?

During bargaining with the cabin crew unions, the airline reportedly offered flight attendants a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, and a 25% raise in the first year, according to the BBC. Pic: Graham Hughes/EPA/Shutterstock