To put an end to the strike, Air Canada strikes a deal with the flight attendant union

 

Early on Tuesday, Air Canada reached a deal with the union for 10,000 flight attendants to halt a strike that affected hundreds of thousands of travelers' travel plans, and the airline announced that it will gradually resume operations.

The deal was reached after negotiations between the union and Canada's largest airline, which affects roughly 130,000 passengers daily during the busiest time of the summer travel season, restarted late Monday for the first time since the strike started over the weekend. According to Air Canada, flights will resume at 4 p.m. ET.

After refusing the airline's proposal to participate in government-directed arbitration, which enables a third-party mediator to determine the conditions of a new contract, flight attendants left their jobs early on Saturday.

One of the main reasons that sparked the strike will be resolved, according to the union, as the agreement would ensure that members get paid for work done while planes are on the ground.

"Work done for no pay is over. We've taken back our authority and our voice," the union declared in a statement. "When our rights were violated, we resisted and managed to get a provisional agreement that our members can vote on."

Restarting a major carrier is a complicated process, and regular service might take seven to ten days, according to CEO Michael Rousseau. Until the schedule is fixed, certain flights will be canceled.

In a statement, Rousseau stated, "We ask for our customers' patience and understanding over the coming days, as full restoration may take a week or more."

Early on Tuesday morning, a mediator helped the parties come to an agreement. Mediation talks "were initiated on the basis that the union commit to having the airline's 10,000 flight attendants return to work immediately," according to the company.

Prior to the conclusion of the ratification process, Air Canada declined to comment further on the deal. It stated that a lockout or strike is not feasible at this time.

With an emphasis on international departing flights, the airline stated that it intends to finish around half of Tuesday's scheduled flights. Mainline North American routes will start ramping up on Wednesday morning.

Following the union's defiance of a second return-to-work order, Air Canada had earlier announced that rolling cancellations would continue through Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered the flight attendants to return to work after declaring the strike unlawful. However, the union declared that it will disregard the order. A directive to submit to binding arbitration and terminate the strike by Sunday afternoon was also disregarded by union leaders.

The board interprets and enforces Canada's labor laws as an impartial administrative tribunal. The board was instructed to step in by the government.

The Canadian government has been using a rule that prevents workers from striking and requires them to arbitrate disputes. In recent years, the government has used this law with workers at ports, railroads, and other locations, which has drawn criticism from labor groups.

In a message on its website, the union stated, "Your right to vote on your wages was preserved."