(NewsNation) — Air Canada flights remain grounded Monday as flight attendants continue to strike in defiance of a government order to return to work.
The airline planned to resume flights last night, but the union behind the strike says it is holding firm, even as Air Canada suggested flights could resume this afternoon.
There are about 10,000 flight attendants on strike at the moment, asking for better wages. Right now, cabin crew are only paid when the planes are moving.
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Flight attendants are asking for better wages and to be paid for work on the ground, like boarding passengers.
The strike is impacting more than 130,000 travelers each day, leaving passengers stranded and confused.
“I understand, I’m in solidarity with strikers in general. But I mean, why do we have to pay the consequences of this?” said passenger Sarah Blandini. “So I’m trying to be a nice person, but yeah, it is a little bit frustrating.”
“It’s a little frustrating because they never canceled the flight until like late yesterday afternoon, so we’re scrambling,” said passenger Brad Erickson.
The Canadian government has ordered binding arbitration through the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, but the union has rejected it.
Canadian Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu said that Canadian businesses and families have already had to face too much disruption and uncertainty this year, likely a reference to U.S. tariffs.
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“Now is not the time to take risks with our economy. A work stoppage would cause thousands of Canadians to be stranded abroad and across this country, and this is simply unacceptable,” Hajdu said.
Air Canada touts itself as the largest foreign carrier in the U.S., operating flights to more than 50 U.S. airports and up to 430 flights daily between the two countries, meaning the strike is having a significant impact on American travelers.
Canada is a popular destination with Americans, especially now, with more than 700,000 U.S. residents flying to Canada last month alone.
The union says that flight attendants are only making $300 more a month than they did more than 25 years ago, and salaries have not kept up with inflation.
Even if both sides were to reach a deal, it would likely take a few days or even a week for operations to return to normal.
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