SaskatoonPeople flying Air Canada in Saskatchewan could soon see cancellations as a contract dispute between the airline and the union that represents more than 10,000 flight attendants remains at an impasse.Airline begins cancelling flights ahead of potential strike or lockout on SaturdayAishwarya Dudha · CBC News · Posted: Aug 14, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoAir Canada has begun cancelling flights ahead of a looming strike by the flight attendants’ union. The union issued a strike notice on Wednesday, and the airline has also issued a lockout notice, either of which could come into effect early Saturday. (Don Somers/CBC)Saskatchewan residents with flights booked on Air Canada in the next few days know their travel plans could be disrupted by a looming strike, but they hope the airline and the union representing its flight attendants can reach an agreement.The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday morning. The airline has issued a lockout notice that takes effect shortly after.That means that all flights could be grounded by Saturday morning. Air Canada started cancelling flights Thursday, and said it expected more than 500 flights to be cancelled by Friday evening.On Thursday, Air Canada officials confirmed they asked the federal government to make a referral under Section 107 of Canada’s Labour Code to send the parties to binding arbitration if they can’t reach a deal.Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has asked CUPE to respond to the request and said she agreed to give the union until Friday at 12 p.m. ET to do so.The uncertainty is nerve-wracking for Tammy Lazar, a Saskatoon resident who has been in Zimbabwe for the past month and has a flight home Friday with her family on Air Ethiopia, connecting to an Air Canada flight on Saturday for her last leg from Toronto to Saskatoon.”We’re at the mercy of waiting to see if they’re going to actually cancel our trip,” she said. “And if they do, then it’s a matter of waiting to see how long it’s going to take to get us home.”Tammy Lazar and her fiancé Sebastian Aicher are booked to fly home to Saskatoon from their trip to Zimbabwe on Friday, but are worried the last leg of their trip from Toronto on Air Canada could be cancelled. (Submitted by Tammy Lazar)At Regina International Airport, Air Canada accounts for about 35 per cent of all flights — including daily departures to Toronto and Vancouver — which are likely to be disrupted, according to airport president and CEO James Bogusz.”We fully anticipate to see significant cancellations on anything operated by Air Canada Mainline or Air Canada Rouge,” Bogusz said on Wednesday. “The impacts are coming … no question.” He recommends passengers check their flight status before arriving and make sure the airline has their contact information, including an email address and cellphone number, in order to receive notifications. WATCH | Air Canada cancelling flights ahead of possible strike: Air Canada to begin cancelling flights, issuing refunds ahead of possible strikeAir Canada says it will begin cancelling flights on Thursday ahead of a potential strike in which more than 10,000 flight attendants could walk off the job this weekend. The country’s largest airline said the gradual suspension of flights would allow for an orderly shutdown. About 130,000 customers a day could be affected by a disruption, according to Air Canada.Key issues at the bargaining table Air Canada Flight attendants have previously asked the federal government to address the most contentious issues at the bargaining table including wages — which it says haven’t kept up with inflation — and unpaid work.Both sides have been negotiating a new collective agreement since March. Flight attendants typically don’t start getting paid until the plane is in motion and their compensation ends when the plane stops at the gate after landing — meaning they aren’t paid for pre- and post-flight duties.Air Canada has proposed paying flight attendants 50 per cent of their hourly wage for work done on the ground, but the union is asking for 100 per cent.WATCH | Air Canada flight attendant union representative discusses wages, unpaid work: ‘Anyone that goes to work deserves to be paid’: President of CUPE’s Air Canada ComponentAir Canada says about 130,000 customers a day could be affected by disruptions ahead of a potential weekend strike by flight attendants. Wesley Lesosky, the president of CUPE’s Air Canada Component, says he’s optimistic Air Canada will come back to the table and pursue positive dialogue, but it has been ‘waves of up and downs’ thus far.While it is a sticking point in the current dispute, flight attendants from a number of carriers have been calling on the federal government to make changes to the Canada Labour Code to address unpaid work.”It’s not a huge ask, really. All people are asking for is to be paid for their time on the job,” CUPE spokesperson Hugh Pouliot previously told CBC News.”It’s a very problematic situation, not just for Air Canada flight attendants, but flight attendants across the board.”Pouliot says flight attendants reached a “breaking point” due to ground delays experienced as Canadians slowly began flying again following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.Both the Conservatives and NDP introduced bills last parliamentary session that would have changed the Labour Code to ensure flight attendants are paid for pre- and post-flight duties. But both bills died when the House was prorogued earlier this year.Passenger concernsAllan McPherson was at the Saskatoon airport on Thursday, getting ready to depart on his trip to visit family in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. He said he’s a “little nervous” about his return flight, as Air Canada is the only option in Sault Ste. Marie, but all he can do is wait and see what happens.He said he understands what the flight attendants are asking for.”My understanding is one of the big concerns is that they’re not being paid for work that they have to do before and after the flight takes off. And I think they should be paid for that,” he said.”If that means that prices have to go up, then I think they should, because I think that if your business relies on unpaid labour, then maybe you shouldn’t be in business.”Another Air Canada passenger, Amber Clark, booked her Air Canada ticket almost a year ago for a work trip overseas. Now, with a strike looming, she’s worried about making it home. “It’s a lot harder than it used to be,” she said. “I have great sympathy for the travellers. I have great sympathy for the airlines,” Clark said in an interview at Saskatoon Airport on Wednesday. “It’s just a difficult time.”Halley Hall-Smith’s 12-year-old son is flying to Montreal from Saskatoon alone for the first time, and the fear of an air travel disruption adds to her nerves.”It definitely makes me nervous, as you know, I’d like to stick with the same airline,” she said. “That being said, I know I can book with another airline, that’s fine, but it might make me second-guess my booking in the future.”Those concerns are increasing as airports prepare for cancellations. Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines are expected to continue operating as normal.The union representing Air Canada Flight attendants says the most contentious issues at the bargaining table including wages that haven’t kept up with inflation and unpaid work done before takeoff and after landing. Both sides have been negotiating a new collective agreement since March. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)Air Canada’s obligations to passengersAir Canada had said that any passengers booked to travel between Aug. 15 and Aug. 18 can change their flight if desired, provided their ticket was purchased no later than Aug. 13.The airline was also going to allow these passengers to change their flights for free to another date between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12.”If your flight is cancelled, we will do our very best to rebook you on the first available flight, exploring options with over 120 international and domestic carriers,” the airline said on its website.ABOUT THE AUTHORAishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She specializes in immigration, justice and cultural issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. You can email her at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca With files from Hannah Spray, The Canadian Press and CBC News Network
Sask. travellers hope for deal between Air Canada, flight attendants’ union
