Air Canada and Striking Flight Attendants’ Union Reach Tentative Deal

Canada|Air Canada and Striking Flight Attendants’ Union Reach Tentative Deal

The union that represents about 10,000 striking Air Canada flight attendants said in a message to its members early Tuesday morning that it had reached a tentative contract deal with the airline, raising hopes for a swift end to the walkout that has disrupted air travel across Canada and stranded thousands of travelers.

The agreement, while a significant step, must still be approved by the flight attendants, who overwhelmingly supported the strike that began on Saturday and defied a back-to-work order from the government, risking fines and even jail time. Air Canada, the nation’s biggest carrier, said the walkout had upended about half a million travelers’ plans, leaving some marooned overseas or in remote parts of Canada.

In its note, the Canadian Union of Public Employees said that the deal was reached at 4:23 a.m. Eastern time after about nine hours of talks and the assistance of a mediator.

“We must fully cooperate with the resumption of operations,” the message said.

Talks between the sides had resumed on Monday evening. No details of the deal were immediately available, but the union had two major objectives that had caused the collapse of negotiations before the walkout.

The union had demanded that Air Canada follow the lead of some U.S. airlines by paying attendants for work that they do before takeoff and after landing, like boarding passengers and carrying out safety checks. Currently, like many airlines, Air Canada pays flight attendants only for work done while the plane’s doors are closed.

Before the strike began, the union had said that Air Canada had accepted the principle of paying for work done on the ground, but was offering only half pay for it. The airline had confirmed that it was willing to pay attendants for ground time, but it did not indicate a rate.