On September 6, 2025, flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge voted overwhelmingly—99.1% against—to reject a tentative four‑year wage agreement reached on August 19, sending the wage portion to mediation and, if unresolved, arbitration while flights continue under a no‑strike/no‑lockout clause.
Key Takeaways
- Union members voted 99.1% against ratifying the tentative contract.
- The August 19 tentative deal ended a four‑day strike that had disrupted travel for roughly 500,000 passengers.
- The agreement includes a no‑strike/no‑lockout provision; further legal strike action is not permitted.
- Wage disputes—especially pay for time spent on the ground—will go to mediation and possibly arbitration.
- The proposed package would have raised entry wages by up to ~20% and experienced attendants by ~16% over four years.
- Ground pay in the tentative deal would have provided 60 minutes pay for narrow‑body and 70 minutes for wide‑body flights, phased from 50% to 70% of hourly rate.
- Union leaders say the offer still fell short of covering higher living costs in cities such as Toronto.
Verified Facts
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge cabin crew, reported a 99.1% vote rejecting the employer’s wage proposal on Sept. 6, 2025. Negotiators had reached a tentative agreement on Aug. 19 to end a four‑day stoppage that stranded about 500,000 travelers.
Under the terms announced by the airline, the overall agreement includes a clause preventing strikes or lockouts; the wage component specifically will be referred first to mediation and, if necessary, to binding arbitration. Air Canada has said flights will continue to operate while that process proceeds.
The tentative wage package detailed by parties would span four years, with estimated increases of roughly 20% for entry‑level flight attendants and about 16% for senior crew. The deal also proposed ground‑pay provisions: 60 minutes of paid time before narrow‑body departures and 70 minutes for wide‑body flights, with ground pay starting at 50% of the hourly rate in year one and rising to 70% by year four.
Flight attendants who spoke to reporters said those increases did not fully address rising housing and living costs in higher‑cost cities, and that many members work additional jobs to make ends meet. Air Canada said the agreement included improved wages, pensions and benefits and compensation for ground work.
Context & Impact
Cabin crew across North America have pressed airlines to change a compensation model that primarily pays for time an aircraft is in motion, leaving pre‑flight and post‑flight duties largely unpaid. Air Canada’s dispute highlighted the broader industry debate over “ground pay” that has also surfaced at U.S. carriers such as United Airlines.
Because the wage terms are now headed to mediation and potentially arbitration, the disagreement could be resolved without another legal strike, but arbitration outcomes can take months and may impose a settlement either side finds imperfect. Passenger disruption is less likely in the near term because flights remain protected by the no‑strike clause, though labor tensions could affect scheduling and morale.
For unions, the Air Canada vote carries symbolic weight. International AFA president Sara Nelson said public support for the Air Canada action has helped momentum for similar fights by U.S. flight attendants, who have recently rejected tentative deals over ground pay issues.
Official Statements
Public support for Air Canada crew has created momentum and has been beneficial to flight attendants confronting similar pay structures in the U.S.
Sara Nelson, Association of Flight Attendants (paraphrased)
Unconfirmed
- The union said mediators and management negotiated the Aug. 19 deal under threat of criminal contempt proceedings; the escalation to criminal charges was reported as a union claim and not independently verified here.
- Claims about the exact number of members working second jobs are based on member testimony and have not been quantified by an independent survey.
Bottom Line
The decisive rejection shows strong rank‑and‑file opposition to the tentative package despite some contractual gains. While immediate travel disruption is unlikely because the deal bars further legal strikes, the unresolved wage issues—especially ground pay—are now on a mediated path that could end in binding arbitration and shape pay practices across North America.