Air Canada begins phased wind-down as flight attendants strike looms

Air Canada began a phased wind-down of its operations on Thursday, moving toward a complete grounding of flights by early Saturday as a union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants begins a planned work stoppage. The airline warned that as many as 130,000 passengers could be affected each day during what is traditionally a peak travel period, with cancellations to affect both mainline flights and Air Canada Rouge. The carrier said it would notify customers by email or text and provide full refunds, while coordinating with other carriers to offer alternative travel options where possible. The move follows eight months of negotiations that have left both sides far apart on pay and how workers are compensated for duties performed on the ground.

The dispute centers on compensation for hours worked off the aircraft, a practice CUPE says amounts to poverty wages. Air Canada has offered a 38 percent total compensation increase over four years, including a 25 percent rise in the first year, and has proposed paying flight attendants for some ground duties at half the hourly rate rather than full pay for all time spent on the job. The union argues that even this offer falls...