Air Canada has resumed flights after a tentative agreement was reached with the union representing its flight attendants. The deal marks an end to a four-day strike that had grounded flights and stranded over 10,000 staff members.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said the agreement achieves “transformational change” for workers and the industry, but details of the pay increases were not disclosed until now. According to reports, flight attendants are set to receive immediate pay increases of between 8% and 12%.
The strike had escalated when CUPE rejected an order to return to work issued by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, which deemed the strike “unlawful” in a ruling on Monday. However, after hours of talks with the help of a mediator appointed by the government, the parties reached a breakthrough.
Air Canada said it may take days to return to full service due to aircraft and crew being out of position. The airline has promised not to comment on the terms of the deal until it is ratified by its staff.
The strike had affected over 500,000 passengers and was Canada’s largest air travel disruption in recent years. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed relief at the agreement, saying he hoped it would ensure flight attendants were compensated fairly while ending disruption for thousands of families, workers, and visitors to Canada.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewyzg8rpxpo