Photo : Reuters
Air Canada flights are back in the air after nearly four days of disruption. The strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants had stopped flights since Saturday and left thousands of passengers stranded at airports.
The good news came on Tuesday when Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents flight attendants, reached a tentative deal. Flights began to slowly restart later that day, although the airline said it will take several more days to fully return to normal.
The main dispute was about pay and work conditions. Flight attendants said they were not being paid fairly for all the hours they worked. For example, time spent on the ground during boarding or waiting at the airport was unpaid.
The union argued that the company’s first offer was too low, “below inflation, below market value, and below minimum wage.” This angered many staff, who walked out in protest.
CUPE also rejected government orders to return to work and enter binding arbitration, saying the government was siding with corporate pressure.
Details of the new agreement have not been fully shared yet, but reports suggest it includes:
Immediate pay raises of 8% to 12% for flight attendants.
Ground pay before each flight, starting at 50% of their hourly rate.
An increase of this ground pay by 5% each year.
The union called this a “historic fight” and said the deal brings “transformational change” for workers and the entire airline industry.
The agreement still needs to be ratified (formally approved) by flight attendants before it becomes official.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “relieved” by the deal, hoping it will bring fair pay to workers and end the suffering of passengers. The Jobs Minister also promised an investigation into unpaid work practices in the airline industry.
The strike had a huge impact. Air Canada operates around 700 flights every day, both inside Canada and internationally. The airline said that over 500,000 passengers were affected by delays and cancellations during the strike.
While flights have started again, Air Canada warned that it will take some time to get planes and staff back to the right places. Passengers should expect some delays as operations return to normal.
For now, the deal offers hope for fairer working conditions for flight attendants and smoother travel for passengers. If ratified, it could set an important example for the future of airline labor agreements in Canada.
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