Air Canada flight attendants have scored a huge victory against wage theft.

Despite being ordered back to work by Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu, these brave airline workers stood their ground, chanting: "Forced to fly? We WON'T comply!"

Defying the government's back-to-work order forced Air Canada to get serious about bargaining. In a stunning turn, a tentative settlement was reached in less than 12 hours after Air Canada returned to the bargaining table. Clearly, it took strike action and visible public solidarity for the Employer to wake up and address basic fairness in the workplace.

Even Minister Hajdu had to come out saying "Nobody should work for free in this country." She also launched an investigation into unpaid work in the airline sector. It's our job to fight to expand the scope of that investigation to include all federally-regulated industries, including truck driving.

In the days ahead, the airline workers, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, will be voting on the new contract. But make no mistake, regardless of the outcome of this vote, they have already won an important political victory: when workers fight together, we can move even the baddest bosses!

Let's also remember: if we can stop wage theft for Air Canada workers, we can stop wage theft for all workers. In Ontario alone, $60 million of unpaid wages were unrecovered by the Ontario Ministry of Labour between 2017 and 2024.

Let's keep fighting to stop wage theft for truck drivers, for gig workers, and for all the rest of us who are not paid properly for the work we do!

Aug 26 Online Organizing Meeting

Join us this Tuesday, August 26 for our online organizing meeting. It will take place at 7:00 pm EDT | 4:00 pm PDT | 5:00 pm MDT | 6:00 pm CDT | 8:00 pm ADT | 8:30 pm NDT.

At this meeting, we'll hear from:

• CUPE airline workers on lessons from their important fight. 
• Ontario college staff and faculty on upcoming decent work organizing at the post-secondary level.
• Canadian Hearing Society Workers on next steps after their courageous 10+ weeks strike. 
• Deena Ladd from the Workers’ Action Centre on how we can build solidarity for the upcoming September 20 Global Day of Action for peace and for Indigenous, climate, migrant, and economic justice.

Will you join us next Tuesday? RSVP through the link below to get the Zoom link.

Organizing for Power:
2025 Justice for Workers Assembly

Don’t miss this year’s Justice for Worker's Organizing for Power Assembly. It will take place in-person at the Toronto Metropolitan University Students’ Centre from Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 27.

We're hosting sessions on strategizing, organizing, and skills-building, to develop a plan of action for next steps in the fight to build a powerful workers movement.

We are excited to announce two keynote speakers who will be joining us for our assembly.

Margarita Hernandez, Labour Director, Grassroots Power Project

Margarita has more than 20 years of experience leading legislative, electoral, and organizing campaigns at the national and state level, as well as creating leadership development programs for labor and community organizations and members. Margarita started her organizing career at the New York Working Families Party, electing the first city council member on a third-party line and helped elect one of the first progressive District Attorneys as part of challenging the state’s draconian and punitive drug laws. Margarita was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, grew up in New York, and lives with her husband and two children in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Veronica Mendez, Co-founder & Former Director: CTUL (Workers United Centre, Minneapolis)

Upcoming Labour Day Events

The fight for decent work is heating up everywhere. What better time to plug in with others fighting for decent work than this year's Labour Day?

To find a Labour Day event in your community, visit the Canadian Labour Congress events page.

Hope to see you at the Tuesday (August 26) online organizing meeting!