Air Canada employees defy back-to-work order, ground all flights

Air Canada has been forced to suspend all operations after its flight attendants launched a strike early on August 16, escalating a bitter contract dispute that has already disrupted travel across the country.

The airline, which had begun winding down operations earlier in the week in anticipation of the walkout, confirmed in a media release on the morning of August that both Air Canada and its low-cost subsidiary Air Canada Rouge have halted flights, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The complete shutdown is estimated to affect around 130,000 passengers’ travel plans each day.

Air Canada announced that it intends to resume service on August 17 after Canadian Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu ordered binding arbitration to end the dispute. However, the union representing flight attendants rejected the government directive.

“We remain on strike. We demand a fair, negotiated contract and to be compensated for all hours worked,” the union said in a statement.

The labor action has left tens of thousands of travelers stranded or scrambling for alternatives. Speaking to passengers at airports across Canada, Mariya Postelnyak reported scenes of confusion and frustration as holiday and business plans unraveled.

By Sabina Mammadli