Air Canada has announced a gradual resumption of operations following an agreement reached early Tuesday with the union representing 10,000 flight attendants, effectively bringing an end to a strike that had severely disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The strike began over the weekend and impacted about 130,000 travelers daily during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. Talks between Air Canada and the union resumed late Monday, resulting in the agreement that was reached just hours later.
Starting at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, flights are set to slowly resume as operations stabilize. The union had previously walked off the job after rejecting the airline’s proposal to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would have allowed an independent mediator to determine the terms of a new contract.
Key to resolving the strike was an agreement that guarantees flight attendants will be compensated for work performed while flights are on the ground. This issue was a significant factor in the decision to strike.
In a statement, the union declared, “Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power. When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — and we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.”
Air Canada’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Rousseau emphasized the complexity involved in restarting the operations of a major airline, warning that full restoration of services could take between seven to ten days. Some flights may be canceled during the initial phase of the restart until the schedule is fully stabilized.
“Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days,” Rousseau stated.
Mediation that led to the agreement occurred with the stipulation that the union’s flight attendants would return to work immediately. Air Canada has not provided additional details on the agreement, pending ratification by its members, but noted that a strike or lockout will not be possible during this process.
On Tuesday, Air Canada aims to complete approximately half of its scheduled flights, concentrating primarily on international routes. A ramp-up for North American mainline flights is set to begin Wednesday morning.
Before the tentative agreement, Air Canada had announced that flight cancellations would continue through Tuesday afternoon, responding to the union’s defiance of a second return-to-work order issued by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which had declared the strike illegal. Despite this, union leaders chose to disregard the order, which was aimed at ending the strike by Sunday afternoon through binding arbitration.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board operates as an independent body that enforces Canadian labor laws and had been called upon by the government to intervene in the labor dispute. This is not the first time labor leaders have voiced their concerns about the Canadian government’s use of laws that restrict workers’ rights to strike, pointing to previous interventions with workers in various sectors like ports and railways.
The union reiterated its position, stating, “Your right to vote on your wages was preserved.”
Air Canada typically operates around 700 flights daily and had estimated that around 500,000 customers would be impacted by the flight cancellations related to the strike. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that at least 1,219 domestic flights and 1,339 international flights had been canceled since last Thursday as a result of the disruptions.
To assist passengers and support the resumption of operations, Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the country’s largest airport, has announced that it will deploy additional staff.
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed relief following the announcement of the tentative agreement, stating he hopes it will lead to fair compensation for flight attendants while alleviating disruption for many travelers.
Passengers whose flights were affected by the strike may request full refunds via Air Canada’s website or mobile application.
image source from：npr
