加拿大航空（Air Canada）正面臨一場可能在今夏引發大規模航班中斷的勞資衝突，其機艙空服員所屬的加拿大公共雇員工會（CUPE）已啟動罷工授權投票程序。CUPE加航分部旗下約有10,000名乘務員，他們的集體合約已於2025年3月31日到期。由於在合約有效期內，乘務員的薪資漲幅遠低於通脹水平，加拿大統計局的數據顯示，自 2000年以來物價已累計上漲約169%，但空服員的薪資僅上漲約10%，這種落差引發強烈的不滿。

除了薪資問題，另一個引爆員工怒火的導火索是所謂的「無薪工作」（Unpaid Work）制度。依現行規則，乘務員只有在航班關閉登機門後才開始計薪，直到飛機降落並打開登機門時結束計薪。然而，在這之前與之後的許多工作，例如起飛前的安全檢查、協助乘客登機、整理客艙、為特殊需求乘客提供協助，以及降落後的乘客疏導與整理工作，都不在計薪範圍內，形同無償勞動。工會認為這些工作同樣具有高度責任與專業性，理應獲得合理報酬。

CUPE工會的訴求包括合理加薪、補償「無薪工作」時數、改善退休福利，以及更合理的工時規則。他們強調，機艙乘務員的工作不僅繁重，而且涉及安全與服務品質，應該獲得公平的對待與薪酬。

Air Canada則表示，罷工授權投票是集體談判過程中的「正常步驟」，公司致力於透過公平協商達成協議，以避免罷工發生，但同時並未排除可能出現工業行動的可能性。此次投票於東部時間 2025年7月28日下午2點正式開始，並將於8月5日下午2點結束。

根據加拿大的勞資糾紛處理程序，罷工前需經過三個階段：首先是集體合約到期（已完成），接著是自2025年5月26日起為期60天的調解期（可延長），至7 月下旬結束，然後進入21天的冷靜期，直至8月中旬結束。如果投票結果支持罷工且授權強烈，工會可於8月16日發出三日通知，意味著乘務員最早可在8月19日正式罷工。

在Reddit社群中，有網友分析認為，罷工最早可能在8月16日午夜過後啟動，甚至航班可能在正式通知前數天就開始被調整或取消。若雙方能在8月16日前達成新協議，罷工將有望避免；但若談判破裂，一旦進入罷工階段，加航航班恐將面臨全國乃至國際航線的廣泛影響，屆時成千上萬名旅客的行程都可能受到衝擊。

Air Canada is facing a potential large-scale flight disruption this summer as the airline’s cabin crew, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), has launched a strike authorization vote. CUPE’s Air Canada division represents roughly 10,000 flight attendants, whose collective agreement expired on March 31, 2025. During the term of the agreement, wage increases have lagged far behind inflation—Statistics Canada data shows that since 2000, consumer prices have risen by about 169%, while flight attendants’ pay has only increased by roughly 10%. This disparity has fueled significant discontent among staff.

Beyond pay, another major point of contention is the so-called “unpaid work” system. Under current rules, flight attendants are only paid from the moment the aircraft’s boarding doors are closed until they are opened after landing. However, crucial duties performed before and after this period—such as pre-flight safety checks, assisting passengers during boarding, preparing the cabin, aiding special-needs travelers, and post-landing disembarkation—are not compensated, despite requiring significant responsibility and professionalism. The union argues that these duties should be fairly paid.

CUPE’s demands include reasonable wage increases, pay for currently unpaid work hours, improved retirement benefits, and more balanced working-hour rules. The union stresses that cabin crew responsibilities are both demanding and safety-critical, and therefore deserve fair treatment and remuneration.

Air Canada stated that the strike authorization vote is a “normal step” in the collective bargaining process, and that the company is committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement and avoid a strike, while not ruling out the possibility of industrial action. The vote began at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 28, 2025, and will conclude at 2:00 p.m. on August 5.

Under Canadian labor dispute procedures, three stages must occur before a strike: first, the collective agreement expiry (already completed); second, a 60-day mediation period starting May 26, 2025 (extendable), ending in late July; and third, a 21-day cooling-off period running until mid-August. If the vote results strongly in favor of a strike, CUPE could issue a 72-hour notice on August 16, meaning flight attendants could legally walk out as early as August 19.

On Reddit, some users have analyzed that the earliest strike could begin just after midnight on August 16, and that flights might be adjusted or canceled several days before official notice. If a new agreement is reached before August 16, a strike could be averted. However, if negotiations fail, a walkout would likely cause widespread disruption across Air Canada’s domestic and international routes, potentially impacting tens of thousands of travelers.