Air Canada flight attendants hold a silent protest at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu rises during Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Air Canada flight attendants hold a silent protest at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
CMU
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu rises during Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA - Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is urging Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants to get back to the negotiating table, a call that comes as the deadline for a strike grows nearer by the hour.
In an interview with °µÍø½ûÇø, Hajdu says it’s “critical†that the two parties “return to the table†to forge a deal on their own — suggesting she’s not ready to intervene in a dispute that has upended hundreds of flights.
Hajdu says the union has indicated many of its demands have been met, suggesting there is a path forward to a deal.
She says it's not up to her to “resolve the issues in the collective agreement,†but the minister also did not rule anything out.
Some 10,000 flight attendants are poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. on Saturday if the two cannot reach an agreement.
The airline and CUPE have blamed each other for their bargaining impasse, with the union rejecting a request for binding arbitration and the company imposing a lockout.
This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Aug. 15, 2025.
