Topline
Air Canada and its unionized flight attendants reached a tentative contract deal early on Tuesday, which could potentially end a strike that forced the airline to suspend flights impacting half a million passengers.
Air Canada will resume operations after it agreed to a tentative deal with its unionized flight attendants, who began striking on Saturday.
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Key Facts
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the 10,000 striking workers, issued a statement on Facebook saying their mediation with Air Canada was complete and the “strike has ended.”
The union said its negotiators have reached a tentative agreement with the airline, which will be presented to the members, who will then have to vote to ratify it.
The union urged the striking flight attendants to “fully cooperate with resumption of operations.”
In a statement on its website, Air Canada also acknowledged the tentative deal and said it will “gradually restart its operations” on Tuesday.
However, the carrier’s President and CEO, Michael Rousseau, noted that the resumption is a complex process and the complete restoration of all flights may take up to a week.
Crucial Quote
In the airline’s statement, Rousseau apologized to Air Canada’s customers, saying: “We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption.” He then added: “Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex undertaking. Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days.”
