Following a nearly four-day strike, Air Canada and its unionized flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement, bringing an end to the first walkout by its cabin crew in 40 years. The strike, which began on Saturday, had disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers and forced the airline to withdraw its financial guidance for the third quarter and the full year.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,400 flight attendants, confirmed in a Facebook post that the “Strike has ended. We have a tentative agreement we will bring forward to you.” The union had sought pay for ground duties such as boarding passengers and declared that “unpaid work is over.”
Travel Disruption and Resumption of Service
Air Canada announced that it will gradually resume operations, but a full restoration of its schedule could take a week or more. The airline warned that some flights will be canceled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized. Customers with canceled flights will be offered a choice between a refund, a travel credit, or rebooking on another airline.
The strike had created a difficult situation for travelers. For example, Klaus Hickman, a retiree, missed his flight to Toronto and had to rebook on another airline, while James Numfor and his family were stranded in Toronto for two nights, forced to sleep in the airport.
The Standoff and Government Intervention
The strike had escalated into a three-way standoff between the company, the workers, and the government. The Canadian Union of Public Employees had defied two orders from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which declared the strike unlawful and ordered the flight attendants to return to work.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu had urged both sides to consider government mediation and, in a move to pressure the airline, promised to investigate allegations of unpaid work in the airline sector. The new agreement was reached with the help of a mediator. While the specific details of the deal have not been released, the union confirmed that it has secured pay for work performed while planes are on the ground, a key demand during negotiations. The deal now goes to the union members for a ratification vote.
