Air Canada Flight Attendants Reach Tentative Deal to End Strike

Air Canada flight attendants have called off their strike after reaching a tentative agreement with the airline, bringing relief to more than half a million passengers whose travel plans were disrupted worldwide.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing about 10,000 attendants, announced the deal late Monday after resuming talks with the airline. The strike began just after midnight on Saturday, as workers demanded higher wages and compensation for unpaid ground duties such as boarding.

“The strike has ended. We have a tentative agreement we will bring forward to you,” CUPE’s Air Canada branch said in a statement, adding, “We are required to advise our membership that we must fully cooperate with the resumption of operations.”

The walkout had continued despite two separate orders from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) directing attendants to return to work. Air Canada was forced to roll back earlier plans to partially resume service as the disruption deepened.

Following mediation led by William Kaplan, Air Canada confirmed that a breakthrough had been achieved. “Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex undertaking. Full restoration may require a week or more,” the airline’s president, Michael Rousseau, said. The carrier said initial flights were scheduled for Tuesday evening, but warned that it would take seven to ten days before operations return to normal.

CUPE hailed the deal as a major win for the sector. “Unpaid work is over,” the union declared, calling it “transformational change for our industry after a historic fight.” In another statement, it added: “When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — and we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.”

Neither side has yet disclosed details of the agreement, and CUPE has not announced when a ratification vote will take place. Air Canada also said it would not comment further “until the ratification process is complete.”

The strike severely impacted Air Canada’s global network, which serves 180 cities, forcing widespread cancellations. The airline estimated that around 500,000 passengers were affected.

Over the weekend, federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu invoked emergency provisions to halt the strike and push both parties into binding arbitration. Despite that intervention, attendants initially refused to comply, ignoring back-to-work directives issued by the CIRB on both Sunday and Monday.

Air Canada warned travellers on Tuesday to brace for continued delays. “As aircraft and crew are out of position,” the airline explained, customers were urged to only proceed to the airport if their flight status showed as operational. Rousseau added: “The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologise for the impact on them of this labour disruption.”

Reacting to the standoff, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed concern over the drawn-out dispute. He described the outcome of the eight-month negotiations as “disappointing,” though he stressed that it was “important” flight attendants were “compensated equitably.” At the same time, he voiced unease that “hundreds of thousands of people were facing travel uncertainty.”