Airline labour talks to watch: What’s next for Canada’s major carriers

# What travellers need to know about upcoming airline labour talks

Travellers usually check weather and attractions before a trip. After two labour disruptions at Canada's biggest carriers in less than a year, checking union negotiations has joined that list for some. Flight cancellations can ripple quickly, and travel advisors are already handling rebookings and upset clients.

# Where negotiations stand now

WestJet's flight attendants, represented by CUPE Local 8125, struck in early August and reached a tentative agreement on Aug. 3. The union planned a vote with results expected around Aug. 24. Ratification is not automatic: previous deals with ground workers and mechanics at WestJet have been rejected in 2024, and the current package fell short of the ground-pay levels the union sought. If members vote no, strike or lockout risk returns on 72 hours' notice.

Dispatchers at Jazz — a carrier that clears roughly one-fifth of Air Canada's daily flights — recently settled and moved to ratification. That reduces immediate disruption risk tied to that bargaining unit while the vote proceeds.

Air Transat stands out as relatively quiet: its pilots ratified a five-year deal in January and flight attendants struck a deal in 2024. That means fewer bargaining-related uncertainties at Air Transat in the near term.

Porter has ratified a deal with its flight dispatchers earlier in the year. Separately, Porter's roughly 1,200 cabin crew recently unionized and will face negotiations for a first collective agreement, likely in spring 2027.

# How bargaining dynamics have changed

Agreements that once appeared at the 11:59 p.m. deadline are less reliable. Rising costs in aviation and a workforce less willing to accept suppressed wages and unpaid ground work have shifted leverage. The federal government's past interventions — like invoking Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code during Air Canada's flight attendants' strike — no longer guarantee a forced back-to-work outcome. Unions and carriers now negotiate with the reality that neither side can assume a rescue intervention.

# Practical steps for travellers and advisors

• If you're booked with a carrier in active bargaining, know the timeline for votes and any publicized 72-hour notice windows.
• Prefer refundable fares when feasible, especially for travel during potential dispute windows.

• Travel advisors should monitor carrier bulletins and union notices and be ready to rebook clients quickly if a no-vote occurs.

# What to watch next

• Ratification results for WestJet's CUPE flight attendants around Aug. 24.
• Implementation or reopening of strike/lockout risk on 72 hours' notice, if ratification fails.
• Porter's cabin crew bargaining timeline, expected in spring 2027.
• Any additional settlements or rejections among ground staff or mechanics that could influence other bargaining units.