Labor Politics : Pilots, Flight Attendants & Strike

When you, as a passenger, hear the words “your flight has been delayed,” you usually blame the weather. Great, you think, should’ve gone with the other airline. But then you glance outside, and it’s bright, clear, and sunny. Weird. Nothing, however, prepares you for the sight of hundreds of workers walking out of their jobs: pilots, flight attendants, all just leaving, as if they weren’t supposed to be the ones flying you out.

At first, you think it’s some kind of flash mob. But then you notice the picket signs, the chants, the sea of union badges. It doesn’t take you long to figure out that this isn’t a publicity stunt—it’s a strike. And in the world of aviation, a strike doesn’t just mean inconvenience. It means canceled flights, stranded passengers, and airlines losing millions by the day.

That is exactly what’s been unfolding with Air Canada. In recent weeks, its flight attendants and pilots have taken a stand against long hours, unpaid boarding time, and contracts they say don’t reflect the reality of their jobs.

But here’s the thing: this isn’t just about one airline or a few disgruntled crews. It’s about what happens when labor politics collides with one of the most global, high-stakes industries in the world. Strikes in aviation aren’t just workplace disputes—they’re history, law, and economics all rolled into one long delay announcement. So fasten your seatbelts. We’re cleared for takeoff. This flight is about to find out what happens when you mix politics with a big industry like aviation.

Storm Clouds Before Takeoff: The Air Canada Strike

Even if you weren’t a fan of history, you know strikes don’t happen overnight. So, by the time Air Canada’s flight attendants and pilots walked off the job in the summer of 2025, the turbulence had already been building for years. Air Canada flight attendants signed a 10-year contract in 2015 covering pay, benefits, and hours. When it expired in March, their union CUPE began negotiations with the airline. Talks quickly stalled over pay for pre-flight duties like boarding, safety checks, and deplaning, which are usually unpaid.

They were frustrated with their so-called ‘pay.’ Calling it ‘pay’ would be too generous, because it was a laughable sum that barely kept the lights on, let alone covered rent. When you factor in inflation, money wasn’t just on the table; it was the table, the centerpiece, and the Goliath of their demands.

But for many crews, the strike wasn’t even about pay; it was about respect, recognition, and safety—you know, the stuff that should be provided as a courtesy of basic decency.

Not only were they underpaid for their actual job (which is already a bad start), but they weren’t even getting paid for boarding time. How they hadn’t rioted sooner is beyond me. While passengers filed onto planes, attendants handled safety checks, assisted families, stowed luggage, and managed emergencies—all on their own unpaid time. Did I miss the sign charity plastered right below the one that says “Big Greedy Airline Ahead”? If have to draw exact states then, crew members were doing up to 35 hours of unpaid work each month. Welcome to the modern French revolution. Remind me again how that ended ?

Just like the revolution, Air Canada’s strike was a very historic one. CUPE—the union representing flight attendants—didn’t just walk off; they said “no thanks” to not one, but two federal back-to-work orders, even when the Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the strike illegal. Defying the orders at this level is very rare. That is badass in my books, and these people have my respect. But you might be wondering: why is it illegal? Lucky for you, that’s the chapter we’re about to dive into.

U.S. Labor Law: The Skies Have Their Own Rulebook

I know, these working conditions sound brutal, and you’re probably wondering why the workers didn’t grab their picket signs ages ago. Simple: it’s illegal for aviation workers to strike. Kind of kills the mood, doesn’t it? And yes, I can already hear you: “But wait, people protest all the time! Isn’t free speech still a thing in, you know, the so-called ‘developed world’?”

That’s a really nice thought. Unfortunately, in America, free speech exists as long as you speak what everyone wants to hear.

So, sit down, because it’s time for a little political science lesson—and class is in session.

In the U.S., airline workers aren’t under the usual National Labor Relations Act like everyone else. Nope, they’re chained to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, yes, a law literally older than your grandma’s record player. Its whole shtick? “Shhh, no strikes please, people might miss their trains or flights”

Here’s the catch: before anyone can so much as whisper the word “strike,” they have to go through endless “negotiation” and “mediation” hoops with the National Mediation Board.

Translation: paperwork, waiting games, and bureaucrats who think urgency is a four-letter word. Touché.

Even if workers survive that circus, the RLA loves to throw in “cooling-off periods”—which is basically the government saying, Take a deep breath, sweetie, and don’t do anything rash like fighting for your rights. And if that wasn’t enough, sometimes judges step in and issue orders that stop workers from going on strike. You can tell the whole system seems rigged against them from the start.

And that’s why U.S. flight attendants almost never strike. Not because they’re thrilled about peanuts-for-pay and high stress levels, but because under the RLA, a strike is less “walk off the job” and more “run an Olympic marathon in bureaucracy.” The system makes walkouts so rare and risky, you’d have better odds of finding legroom in economy. 

A Brief History of Labor Politics in the Skies

We’ve been talking civics for a while, so let’s switch gears and do history. Labor strikes. It’s time to do a history tour of the glamorous world of airline labor politics—where the uniforms are pressed, the paychecks are wrinkled, and the so-called “friendly skies” are mostly friendly to shareholders. Although there were many strikes, two in particular left a mark that still echoes in airline labor politics today.

Origins of ALPA: How Pilot Unions Began

Back in the days pilots didn’t just launch planes, they also launched a movement. In July 1931, a bold group of aviators, led by David L. Behncke and 23 other “Key Men,” secretly gathered at Chicago’s Morrison Hotel to form the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) ‌. From day one, their mantra was “Schedule with Safety,” lobbying for stricter flight limits, air traffic control, safety reporting systems, and even the creation of the NTSB — all before the jet age took off ‌.

The PATCO Strike, 1981: When the Feds Hit Back

On August 3, 1981, 13,000 air traffic controllers under PATCO started a labor unrest with a strike. President Ronal Reagan wasn’t having it — he basically told them, “Get back to work or don’t come back at all.” Two days later, over 11,359 were fired, and the union was wiped off the map. The shockwaves from that moment are still felt today. It’s a reminder of just how much these workers gamble when they decide to walk out.

If this story grabs your interest and you want to read about the people who actually lived it, then The New Yorker article ‘The Cost of Defying the President’ is a good rabbit hole to fall into.

Why the Air Canada Strike Sends Ripples Across Borders

Global Disruption: You might think of Air Canada as just a bunch of flying maple-leaf routes but it’s actually a key connector in the global route. Think of a hub plugged into U.S. partners, codeshares, and global connections. So when the strike hit, it didn’t just stall departures in Toronto — it sent turbulence through schedules worldwide.

Suddenly, folks from Sydney to San Francisco were staring at departure boards like, “Wait… did my connecting flight just ghost me?”. No one felt the sting more than Virgin Australia passengers who were especially left dangling mid journey.

Public Awareness: If you thought the strike just grounded planes , nope, it flipped public opinion mid-flight. Hmm.. I mean it couldn’t have that much of an influence right ? Well, let me paint a picture for you. A poll of 1,300+ Canadians showed two-thirds were cheering for the flight attendants, while only a 12% swiped right on Air Canada management. And get this: as the strike went on, love for the workers actually grew. Their approval ratings shot up by 40%, while the airline’s image nosedived by 34%. The best part is, all this happened after the government stepped in with a back-to-work order. Talk about some image control. Looks like these airlines need a new pr team. 

Economic Shockwaves: Of course, every strike comes with some economic turbulences, and this strike was no different. Air Canada was staring down at an astounding $61 million in daily losses. Yes, millions. Tourism froze, trade hiccupped, even supply chains wobbled. The GDP took a huge hit and when GDP flinches, governments and officials tend to wake up and take notice.

Legal Aftershocks: What Changes Might Come?

Enhanced Worker Protections: It would be fair to say this strike struck a chord with travelers and airlines, who realized just how crucial a well-paid, well-rested crew is for on-time flights. Cue growing sympathy for things like boarding pay, better compensation for ground duties, and stronger safety margins. Evidently, that was enough to nudge lawmakers toward real protections.

Cross-Border Labor Alignment: Aviation is global by design, unions know this, and regulators are slowly catching up. I won’t be surprised if union workers chatter about harmonizing labor standards internationally. Let’s be honest—if airlines can share codeshares across continents, crews should be able to coordinate their efforts across borders in the same way. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is already pushing exactly this kind of coordination among aviation unions worldwide.

Conclusion

Remember the French Revolution? Folks got tired of being broke and overworked, stormed the Bastille, and let’s just say… management didn’t come out on top. Fast forward a few centuries, and aviation workers are giving us déjà vu—only this time, the guillotine’s been swapped for picket signs, and the demands are way simpler: fair pay, sane hours, and maybe a little respect at 30,000 feet. I don’t think that’s a crazy thing to demand at all.

Airline strikes are more than canceled flights—they’re lessons in power, persistence, and people refusing to be invisible. From bureaucratic hoops to international coordination, aviation workers are rewriting the rules, showing us that even in a global industry, fairness and respect can’t be compromised. There's a lot we can learn from them.

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