Air Canada's Flight Attendants Massively Dismiss Proposed Work Agreement

Air travel in Canada will not experience another disruption like the one seen earlier this month, despite the impending vote.

, and Administrator

2025 September 15 . 3:13 AM

1 min read

Flight crew members of Air Canada overwhelmingly vote against the proposed contract.

Air Canada's Flight Attendants Massively Dismiss Proposed Work Agreement

In a significant development, approximately 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada have rejected a proposed contract negotiated last month. The rejection, which was overwhelming, with 99.1% of the votes cast in opposition, has averted a potential strike and lockout that could have paralysed travel in the country.

The rejection of the proposed contract led to the proposed contract not being resumed, preventing a resumption of the walkout that shut down Canada's main air carrier for five days. This disruption affected around 500,000 passengers, causing considerable inconvenience during the holiday season.

Wesley Lesosky, the president of the Air Canada unit of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), stated that Air Canada never bargained in good faith on wages. The union and the airline had anticipated the contract might be rejected, and had agreed not to restart the strike and lockout if that happened.

The shutdown highlighted the importance of Air Canada's role in connecting a sparsely populated country that spans six time zones. Few practical alternatives to flying existed for many trips during the shutdown, making the disruption even more profound.

In a positive turn of events, talks on the wage portion of the contract will reopen with a mediator's help if the initial talks fail. If those talks fail, the issue will go to arbitration.

The union's rejection of the proposed contract is a clear indication of the flight attendants' dissatisfaction with the terms offered. The airline and the union now have an opportunity to renegotiate the contract in a bid to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The outcome of these negotiations will be closely watched by the travelling public and the industry alike.