August 17, 2025
The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
Re: Protection of Free Collective Bargaining for Air Canada Workers
Dear Prime Minister Carney,
On behalf of the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC) and the thousands of working people we represent and all organized labour across the country, I am writing to express outrage over your government’s recent decision to order Air Canada workers back to work through binding arbitration. This decision represents nothing less than an abuse of federal power and a dangerous attack on the fundamental rights of workers to freely negotiate their wages, benefits, and working conditions through collective bargaining.
The right to withhold labour is not an inconvenience to be brushed aside when negotiations become uncomfortable. It is a hard-won democratic right, recognized in Canadian law and affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada as a cornerstone of free collective bargaining.
By ordering Air Canada workers back to work and into binding arbitration, your government has denied them the ability to use their collective power to secure a fair deal. You have placed the weight of the state on the side of corporate management, and in doing so, you have silenced the voices of thousands of frontline workers.
Air Canada’s flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), have made extraordinary sacrifices over the years. They endured mass layoffs and wage freezes during difficult times. They worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, exposing themselves to health risks so Canadians could continue to travel, reunite with loved ones, and keep goods and services moving. They have been the face of Canada in airports and airplanes around the world, and their professionalism is one of the key reasons why Air Canada remains a respected global brand.
And despite their dedication, these workers have faced stagnating wages, exhausting schedules, and working conditions that far too often compromise their health and wellbeing. Many flight attendants and ground staff live in some of the most expensive cities in the country, where housing and the cost of living have skyrocketed.
Wages have not kept pace with inflation, leaving workers struggling to cover the basics while executives continue to reward themselves with outrageously high compensation. Workers have raised legitimate concerns about fatigue, understaffing, and the physical and emotional toll of the job, but management has failed to respond adequately.
It is for these reasons that Air Canada workers turned to collective bargaining. They were not asking for unreasonable luxuries. They were asking for wages that reflect their value and conditions that allow them to work safely and effectively. Recent opinion polling from Abacus Data on August 15 showed that an incredible 88% of Canadians believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties, including boarding, delays and safety checks, and that 59% of Canadians want the federal government to respect flight attendants’ right to strike. This is just common sense.
These are the very issues that free collective bargaining is designed to resolve. But instead of allowing that process to unfold, your government intervened and imposed binding arbitration, depriving workers of the very mechanism they need to hold management accountable.
Arbitration imposed by the state is not a balanced process—it is a gag order on workers. When the state uses its authority to silence workers, it is not acting in the public interest. It is acting in the interest of corporations. And when workers are denied their voice, the consequences ripple far beyond a single workplace. Other employers take note. Other governments may be tempted to follow suit. The very fabric of free collective bargaining in Canada is weakened.
I urge you to reverse this decision. Rescind the order for binding arbitration and allow Air Canada workers to return to the bargaining table with their rights intact. Encourage Air Canada management to bargain in good faith and negotiate a deal that addresses the legitimate concerns of its employees.
Let me be clear: the PPWC and unions across this country will not stand by silently while governments strip workers of their rights. As a democratic union run by rank-and-file members, we know that the right to strike, to bargain, and to withhold labour are not privileges granted by governments. They are fundamental human rights, earned through generations of struggle. Every protection that workers enjoy today—from the eight-hour workday, to weekends, to health and safety standards—was won because workers had the freedom to stand together and demand justice.
Your government now stands at a crossroads. You can choose to continue down a path of interference, stripping away the rights of workers whenever it becomes politically convenient. Or you can choose to respect democracy in the workplace, honour the principles of free collective bargaining, and stand with the working people who built this country.
If Canada is to be a fair and democratic society, the rights of workers must be protected. On behalf of the Public and Private Workers of Canada, we ask that your government restore collective bargaining rights to Air Canada workers and allow them the dignity of negotiating a good deal.
Media contact:
Geoff Dawe
National President, Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC)
250-526-2911
nationalpresident@ppwc.ca
ppwc.ca
CC: Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu
CUPE President Mark Hancock
Air Canada Component (CUPE) President Wesley Lesosky
