Air Canada says flights will begin resuming Tuesday evening after reaching a tentative agreement with a union representing 10,000 flight attendants. The announcement marks an end to a strike that interrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Strike disrupts peak travel
The work stoppage, which began Saturday, hit at the height of the summer travel season. The Associated Press reports that the strike impacted roughly 130,000 passengers per day.
The strike started after flight attendants rejected the airline’s demand to enter government-directed arbitration.
Key terms of the deal
The union announced the deal will guarantee their workers’ pay while planes are grounded, which was one of the major points of contention that prompted the strike.
“Unpaid work is over,” the union declared in a social media post. “When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.”
Air Canada said no further details would be released until union members vote to ratify the deal.
Full resumption may take up to 10 days
Canada’s largest airline said that restarting all systems could take up to 10 days. Officials note that some flights may still be canceled as the schedule is sorted out.
“Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days,” chief executive Michael Rosseau said in a statement.
The agreement was reached with the assistance of a third-party, and the airline said the talks began “on the basis that the union committed to have the airline’s 10,000 flight attendants immediately return to work.”
Government and legal backdrop
Before the deal was struck, Air Canada warned rolling cancellations would continue through Tuesday. The Canada Industrial Relations Board had ruled the strike illegal on Monday, ordering attendants back to work. The union defied the order before negotiations resumed.
Labor leaders have frequently criticized Ottawa’s use of laws that force unions into arbitration, pointing to past disputes involving port, rail and other transport workers.
‘Right to vote preserved’
“Your right to vote on your wages was preserved,” the union said in a statement.
Air Canada announced on Monday that an estimated 500,000 passengers were impacted by flight cancellations from the strike.
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Author: Craig Nigrelli
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