Why so many airlines face labor disruptions and why this may keep happening

Canadian travelers looking forward to the New Year without the worry of a labor dispute may be out of luck, as most of this country’s major airlines will face off with unions at the bargaining table in 2026.

Industry and labor experts agree strikes or lockouts at airlines are not guaranteed and unions representing their employees negotiate, Despite the settlement of several disputes that have rocked the industry in recent months, the sky ahead is not at all clear.

In the most recent example, Air Transit began canceling flights a day before talks between the company and its pilots led to a temporary agreementBut this agreement came just hours before the full strike was to begin.

It was a few months ago that Air Canada flights were grounded for a few days after flight attendants walked off the job at the end of the summer. WestJet passengers face similar cancellations in 2024 due to a mechanics strike.

But the negotiations are not over for these carriers.

WestJet will begin negotiations with flight attendants in 2026. Air Canada will see many ground crew and baggage workers negotiate new contracts. Porter Airlines continues to negotiate a first-time deal with pilots, dispatchers and flight attendants.

“They all have the ability to shut down the airlines in every one of their contract negotiations,” said John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University.

Why do these controversies keep coming up?

Canadians have faced travel disruptions during many popular travel periods over the past few years, and certainly more so than in previous decades.

One reason for the sudden increase in contract disputes may be that many long-term deals are expiring. Airlines Such as Air Transit and Air Canada are renegotiating contracts that were signed, in some cases, a decade ago.

Contracts of this length are unusual, according to both labor and industry experts, but they were originally signed when some airlines like Air Canada were facing harsh financial realities.

“They were trying to find a way to bring the airline industry together in terms of profitability and survivality,” Gradek said, referring to the mid-2010s.

The long contracts provided predictability and stability for the companies involved, but their industry and economy have changed significantly since then, with labor experts pointing out that unions and their members feel they need to make up for lost time.

“There are a lot of things that people weren’t thinking about in 2015 that are big issues now, like surviving a global pandemic that shut down global travel and caused a dramatic increase in the cost of living after years of basically zero inflation,” said Barry Eidlin, associate professor of sociology at McGill University.

Eidlin also points out that in recent years, non-airline employees going on strike may have been a motivating factor.

“Employees’ expectations rise when they…see other employees going on strike and winning big contracts. Then, on the management side, there has been a habit of not giving up much at the bargaining table for three to four decades,” he said.

“You have a conflict of mismatched expectations.”

Should passengers expect more strikes?

In some cases relations between airlines and unions may deteriorate as labor disputes subside and other negotiations continue.

CUPE, the union representing its flight attendants, has told the members It sees Air Canada as “detached from union and employee matters”, and the issues are being resolved at a “glacial pace” with “hard feelings on all sides”.

But that dispute is now going through binding arbitration; Air Canada flight attendants will not be shutting down those flights in the near future, no matter how bad relations get.

At WestJet, flight attendants will be looking for a new deal after their contract expires on Dec. 31. Those workers are represented by a separate branch of CUPE, but they have already launched public campaign Against the company.

The company told CBC News it is currently in negotiations and is “interested in understanding their priorities” as it works toward a collective agreement that is “also sustainable” for WestJet.

Industry expert Gradek estimates that contract disputes at carriers like WestJet won’t really stop until the end of May, if not later.

And at Air Canada, baggage agents, mechanics and other ground staff are also in the conversation. When – or if – there is disruption will depend on the next few months.

The company told CBC News in a statement that renegotiating collective agreements is “normal and healthy for any unionized business.” It also said it has a “long and successful record of negotiating new contracts with our unions.”

Porter passengers may want to keep their eyes open on options as soon as possible, as the airline and its dispatchers have not yet reached an agreement and the union has already voted in favor of it. possible strikeHowever, they remain in talks.

What about government intervention?

The federal government has intervened in labor disputes between airlines and unions for years, including a 2025 dispute involving Air Canada and a 2024 mechanics strike at WestJet.

Although ordering union members to return to work has not resulted in recent compliance, with CUPE members in particular defying that order, labor experts and lawyers say trusting the government using that power is something employers can rely on.

“This is not a strategy that can be used widely in any other industry,” said Sandeep Gokhale, an employment lawyer who often represents management sides in labor relations.

“This should be fairly limited, but airlines recognize that the impact on Canadians is substantial.”

But Eidlin points out that unions’ repeated reliance on the federal government ordering them to return to work may actually lead to more difficult negotiations in the future, which could lead to more labor disputes later on.

“They change the employer’s expectations of what will happen if they don’t negotiate,” he explained, pointing out that if the worst-case scenario in the event of an agreement is that the federal government forces everyone back to work instead of a prolonged strike, the employer does not face a costly crisis.

“As a result, employers will drag their feet back to the bargaining table,” Eidlin said.

How can you avoid being affected by labor disputes?

With little hope of a negotiated solution, it can be difficult to avoid being affected by travel disruptions if a deal happens at the time when you truly expect it to happen.

A Canadian traveler told CBC News she now checks when a contract expires before choosing an airline, so she can assess the level of risk.

“This lets me know if the flight I choose, because I book in advance, will potentially be at risk of cancellation and I can make an informed decision,” said Merrill Carmichael, based in Ancaster, Ontario.

“You can go online and just type in ‘WestJet cabin crew expiration date’ and it will come up immediately,” she said, explaining that she then looks at the number of months between when the contract ends and when she wants to travel, to see if she might be in the “risk zone.”

Gradec estimates that passengers will not see any direct disruptions or cancellations until the summer. He suggests that concerned travelers can purchase refundable backup tickets or travel insurance that covers labor disputes.

Lawyer Gokhale says government interference could still be a factor, noting that thousands of Canadians are facing travel disruptions, largely a result of the contract dispute.

“On what conditions does the United Nations dependIons are going to take — and they’re going to take aggressive positions — I think we’re going to start seeing more stops.Gokhale said, “If the parties are unable to reach a solution amid negotiations and strikes, the government will have to intervene.”

For their part, unions say they understand this concerns Canadians.

“The airlines pay a price, the employees pay a price, the traveling public pays a price,” said Capt. Tim Perry, president of the Air Line Pilots Association Canada, which represents pilots at Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Porter.

Perry said, “When we’re trying to reach a collective agreement at the bargaining table, what we’re really trying to do is bring stability. Because collective agreement is what brings stability.”