Air Canada flight attendants to rally Aug. 11; airline offered 32.5% increase, report says

The union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge is calling on its members to participate in a Nationwide Day of Action (DOA) on Monday (Aug 11) to show unified support for its bargaining committee.

The Air Canada Component of CUPE posted its call out to its Facebook page Wednesday (Aug 6) not long after its members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of strike action.

Next week’s DOA is not an official strike, the union clarifies, urging flight attendants to show up to the demonstrations in uniform.

“We are inviting ALL members to stand in solidarity with your Bargaining Committee, while they bargain, as we continue to push for a fair deal at the table,” says the Facebook post.  

The demonstrations will take place at bases in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver at various times.

This week’s voting result means Air Canada’s flight attendants support strike action if the bargaining team decides to call for a work stoppage.

While it does not mean a strike is guaranteed, it significantly raises the stakes in ongoing contract negotiations with the airline.

READ MORE: Potential Air Canada flight attendant strike – what travel advisors need to know

The cooling-off period ends Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m. ET, which is the earliest the union can go on strike.

The previous 10-year contract for Air Canada’s flight attendants expired in March 2025, and the union filed for conciliation in May, citing stalled talks.

Negotiations have stalled over issues such as wages, unpaid work hours, scheduling and other compensation concerns.

Air Canada, this week, said a strike vote is part of the negotiation process.

"Air Canada remains committed to the bargaining process and is eager to resume discussions, which CUPE had suspended during the vote," the airline told CBC News.

The company said it "firmly believes that there is more than enough time to reach such an agreement and avoid disrupting the plans of hundreds of thousands of travellers."

Air Canada offered 32.5% increase?

According to a report in Bloomberg News on Wednesday (Aug 6), the flight attendants were offered an overall increase of more than 30 per cent over four years ahead of a potential strike.

Citing “a person familiar with the negotiations,” the story, which does not name its source, claimed Air Canada proposed to increase total compensation, including benefits and bonuses, by about 20 per cent in the first year of a contract and a total of 32.5 per cent over four years.

The airline also reportedly agreed to pay workers for some of the time they spend on the ground — a request the union has made.

Air Canada flight attendants are currently compensated only while an aircraft is moving—a standard practice across the airline industry, though this is facing growing scrutiny.

CUPE, meanwhile, says Air Canada “never presented this offer” to the union.  

Speaking to Bloomberg, Nathalie Garceau, a spokesperson for CUPE, said: “If this indeed what the company plans to present when we resume negotiations on Friday, we look forward to discussing it then.”

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