Air Canada flight attendants are back to work after a three-day strike.

But union leaders are fiercely criticizing the federal government’s back-to-work order, with one calling it “a misuse of government power.”

The strike grounded about 500,000 customers’ flights over the weekend.

Hours after CUPE launched the strike Saturday, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu ordered the 10,000 workers to end the walkout and sent the two sides to binding arbitration.

The union refused, despite the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruling the strike illegal. The strike ended Tuesday with a settlement reached with a mediator.

But the dispute became a flashpoint for other labour groups, who say it’s the latest example of Ottawa’s new strategy to end strikes and walkouts.

“This is bigger than the flight attend

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