The independent tribunal that administers Canada's labour laws has deemed the strike by Air Canada's some 10,000 flight attendants illegal and is ordering workers back to the skies.

In a decision released Monday morning, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) said the defiance of a back-to-work order on Sunday by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is "unlawful."

The order calls on the union "to immediately cease all activities that declare or authorize an unlawful strike of its members and to direct the members of the bargaining unit to resume the performance of their duties" by noon ET.

The directive, written by CIRB vice-chairperson Jennifer Webster, also calls on the flight attendants themselves to resume their duties "immediately."

The decision comes after a hearin

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