Flight attendants went on strike after Air Canada gave wage increases to certain employees, including pilots with a 26% rise in 2024, a mostly male-filed role according to CUPE. In contrast, the union said that flight attendants, who are mainly women, received a lower 8% increase in 2025.

For decades, many flight attendants in North America weren’t paid for ground work. The Air Canada strike marks a shift.

Air Canada will gradually restart operations after reaching an agreement with the union for 10,000 flight attendants to end a strike that disrupted travel plans for hundreds of thousands of travelers.