Air Canada strike to continue despite government order – union

Flight attendants for Air Canada will continue to strike despite a back-to-work order issued by the Canadian Government, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said in an interview with Radio-Canada Sunday.

The announcement came just a day after the Canadian government ordered the union and airline back into arbitration.

The Canadian Industrial Relations Board acted on a directive from the country’s Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu, ordering Air Canada “to resume airline operations and for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to resume their duties” by 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Newsweek previously reported.

Air Canada said previously that they would resume operations Sunday following the cabin crew strike that grounded hundreds of flights, causing cancellations affecting tens of thousands passengers.

The strike came following requests for pay increases and better working conditions, CUPE said in a statement issued Saturday.

“The Liberal government has invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to end a strike by Air Canada flight attendants fighting to end unpaid work and poverty wages,” CUPE said in the statement.

Newsweek has reached out to CUPE via email for more information Sunday.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to come.