Solidarity & Congratulations to Air Canada Flight Attendants Who Stood Strong!
UFCW 401 members stood in solidarity with Air Canada flight attendants during the strike.
Representing flight attendants, the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has reached a tentative agreement with Air Canada to end a brief strike. As flight attendants begin to resume their duties and as we congratulate them on a successful outcome, we’re taking a look at how some of the key components of their union’s efforts contributed to that success.
Firstly, the union staged an aggressive national public awareness campaign that involved bold and direct television ads. These ads had been in circulation for at least a year before negotiations broke down and were ramping up into an even bolder second phase as the strike began.
Another key component, of course, was the incredibly strong strike vote that riveted media and public attention on that awareness campaign. An amazing 99.7% of flight attendants voted to strike, then held firm on the picket lines for the brief period in which they faced a back-to-work order. It was a united stand: there were no attempts by “scabs” to flout the federal prohibition on crossing picket lines as a replacement worker.
“The key elements of CUPE’s success are worthy of reflection for Local 401 members,” said President Thomas Hesse of UFCW Local 401. “Our local has aggressively advanced public relations campaigns, and works very hard to provide our members with the tools they need to contemplate and engage in strike votes that deliver maximum pressure on large corporations during the bargaining process.”
“Ultimately, this dispute was about one thing,” added Secretary Treasurer Richelle Stewart. “Union contracts from before the rise of the affordability crisis simply don’t meet the economic needs of these times.”
“In facing that reality, flight attendants are no different from any other worker or 401 member,” concluded President Hesse. “We couldn’t be prouder of CUPE’s courageous stand that brought home the message that workers should decide when a strike ends, and that their constitutional right to strike should be respected.”
As CUPE’s negotiators worked through the night to finalize the deal that concluded the strike, it was instructive and inspiring to see their new television commercials appear during the National news broadcast, signaling an even more aggressive awareness campaign strategy. That night, viewers would have seen an ad multiple times that featured an interview with a flight attendant who explained her unpaid work for the airline. The ad characterized the airline’s conduct as “true crime.”
In the months to come, UFCW Local 401 will continue to draw useful information for our situation from the struggles and the wins of others in the labour movement and to get that information to our members. We thank you for staying aware and staying strong, and thanks to everyone who showed solidarity with Air Canada workers during this pivotal moment for our movement.
Posted on: August 20,2025