Air Canada's Flight Attendant Standoff: A Push for Fair Wages

Air Canada's fleet was grounded Monday as flight attendants defied a government-backed order to end their strike, demanding the airline return to the bargaining table. The union seeks better wages and pay for ground duties, currently not compensated by the airline.

The strike's continuation comes after the government ordered binding arbitration, a move the Canadian Union of Public Employees labeled unconstitutional. This rare defiance from the union comes amid the airline's plans to resume operations being pushed to Monday evening.

The government faces pressure to resolve the impasse, balancing between enforcing the back-to-work order and respecting the supreme court's cautious stance on restricting the right to strike in essential sectors, as seen in previous intervention cases.