Air Canada union ordered to end strike by noon on Monday

The Canada Industrial Relations Board declared a strike by 10,000 Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants illegal Monday and ordered them back on the job after they ignored an earlier order to return to work and submit to arbitration.

The strike at Canada's largest airline entered its third day on Monday and is affecting about 130,000 travelers per day during the peak summer travel season, and the two sides remain far apart on pay and other issues. Air Canada suspended plans to restart operations Sunday after the union defied an earlier return-to-work order.

"The members of the union's bargaining unit are directed to resume the performance of their duties immediately and to refrain from engaging in unlawful strike activities," the Canada Industrial Relations Board board, or CIRB, said in a written decision.

The board, an independent administrative tribunal that interprets and applies Canada's labor laws, said the union needs to provide written notice to all of its members by noon Monday that they must resume their duties.

It was not immediately clear what recourse the board or the government has if the union continues to refuse.

"We are in a situation where literally hundreds of thousands of Canadians and visitors to our country are being disrupted by this action," Prime Minister Mark Carney said. "I urge both parties to resolve this as quickly as possible."

Air Canada had canceled 540 flights as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, according to FlightAware.com. Air Canada Rouge had 131 flight cancellations, the flight tracking and data provider showed.

Air Canada suspended plans to restart operations Sunday after the union representing 10,000 flight attendants said it will defy a return to work order. The strike was already affecting about 130,000 travelers per day during the peak summer travel season.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered airline staff back to work by 2 p.m. Sunday after the government intervened and Air Canada said it planned to resume flights Sunday evening.

Canada's largest airline now says it will resume flights Monday evening. Air Canada said in a statement that the union "illegally directed its flight attendant members to defy a direction from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board."

"Our members are not going back to work," Canadian Union of Public Employees national president Mark Hancock said outside Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Sunday. "We are saying no."

Carney on Monday said his jobs minister would have more to say later. Carney said it was disappointing that talks have not led to a deal, and added that it is important that flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times.

The labor board previously ordered airline staff back to work by 2 p.m. Sunday and for the union to enter arbitration, after the government intervened. Air Canada then said it planned to resume flights Sunday evening. But when the workers refused, the airline said it would resume flights Monday evening instead. However, there was no sign that the Canadian Union of Public Employees, or CUPE, would relent.

Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.

CUPE national President Mark Hancock on Sunday had ripped up a copy of the initial back-to-work order outside Toronto's Pearson International Airport, and said members wouldn't go back to work this week, to the cheers of picketing flight attendants.

Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday, after turning down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which allows a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract.

Air Canada and CUPE have been in contract talks for about eight months, but remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work that flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air.

The airline's latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions, over four years, that it said "would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada."

But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation.

"Air Canada's intended restart of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, which have been grounded since Aug. 16 by CUPE's labour disruption, was prevented on Aug. 17 by the CUPE leadership's unlawful strike activities," Air Canada said in a statement on Monday. "Air Canada regrets this impact on its customers and is fully committed to returning to service as soon as possible."

The airline now estimates 500,000 customers' flights have been canceled as a result. Passengers whose flights are impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada.

Last year, the government forced the country's two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union during a work stoppage. The union for the rail workers is suing, arguing the government is removing a union's leverage in negotiations.

Air Canada customers can find more information on the airline's website: www.aircanada.com

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