Air Canada halts plans to resume flights after union defies order to return to work

Air Canada on Sunday suspended its plans to continue flights after a union representing flight attendants said they would not come in for work, defying a government order. 

Canadian Union of Public Employees national president Mark Hancock said that Air Canada had refused to bargain with the attendants. 

“Air Canada has really refused to bargain with us, and they refused to bargain with us because they knew this government would come in on their white horse and try and save the day,” he said, according to The Associated Press.

The Canadian Industrial Relations Board said in a statement that the flight attendants had to resume their jobs by 2 p.m.

Over 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job to protest pay and scheduling conflicts that resulted due to a new contract. 

As a result of the strike, 700 flights were suspended and hundreds of thousands of travelers had to find other ways to travel or remain at the airport.