Air Canada's flight attendants' union could go on strike by early summer, depending on the outcome of negotiations with its employer.
The Air Canada Component of CUPE represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. Its members are in a legal position to strike following the expiration of their collective agreement with the airline on March 31, 2025.
However, a spokesperson for the Air Canada Component of CUPE tells V.I.A. that the current contract remains in place while the union continues negotiations with the airline.
"Negotiations have been good to date, and the union has bargaining dates with the employer booked into June," he explains. "Discussions about job action are premature at this point."
The spokesperson says that the union's goal is to negotiate a "strong new contract" instead of taking job action.
Canadian unions must go through a bargaining process with their employer after a contract expires before they can legally strike. A conciliator will be appointed under the Canada Labour Code if an agreement isn't reached. If one isn't, the parties will enter a 60-day "cooling period."
Union members must vote to strike and issue a 72-hour notice before taking job action.
Air Canada narrowly avoided traveller chaos when it reached a tentative contract with its pilots' union in mid-September last year. The four-year agreement was officially ratified in October 2025, retroactive to Sept. 30, 2023.
Air Canada flight attendants highlight several issues with contract
The flight attendants' union is bargaining with Air Canada over several key issues, focusing mainly on fair payment and working conditions. It has been locked into a 10-year deal with the airline, meaning members haven't seen wage increases commensurate with changes to their workload.
The cost of living has increased over the past decade, and flight attendants have additional duties following the pandemic.
Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE told V.I.A. in a previous interview that flight attendants aren't getting paid for the work they complete before they board an aircraft and only about half their wages for training hours.
Lesosky said some of a flight attendant's most important and complex duties are performed in uniform, for free. Pre-flight activities, including identifying aircraft needs (such as de-icing or propeller abnormalities), safety checks (checking extinguishers, smoke hoods, and more), and ensuring that services are ready for passengers, including the laboratories and catering equipment, are completed without pay.
CUPE's airline division, which represents approximately 18,500 flight attendants across Canada, launched a campaign highlighting these issues facing flight attendants in Canada. The "" campaign states that employees work roughly 35 hours for free monthly.
Air Canada's flight attendants also launched the "" campaign featuring engaging graphics and videos highlighting wage gaps in their employment. The campaign urges travellers to "tell Air Canada that unpaid work is unfair" and that the airline needs to "stop putting profits ahead of workers and everyone’s safety."
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