On Tuesday, Air Canada announced that it will gradually restart operations following a significant agreement with the union representing 10,000 flight attendants. This agreement marks the end of a strike that disrupted travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers. The union first revealed the agreement early Tuesday morning after Air Canada and the union resumed negotiations late Monday, marking their first discussions since the strike commenced over the weekend.
The strike has had a considerable impact, affecting approximately 130,000 travelers daily during the peak of the summer travel season. Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, stated that flights will begin resuming Tuesday evening. Flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday after rejecting the airline's request for government-directed arbitration, which would have involved a third-party mediator determining the terms of a new contract.
The union emphasized that the agreement ensures members will receive pay for work performed while planes are on the ground, addressing a major concern that led to the strike. “Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power,” the union declared in a statement. They noted that when their rights were threatened, they remained resolute and fought back, ultimately securing a tentative agreement that now awaits a vote from the members.
Air Canada’s Chief Executive, Michael Rousseau, highlighted that restarting operations for such a major carrier is a complicated process. He mentioned that normal service levels might take between seven to ten days to stabilize, and some flights may be canceled during this period. “Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days,” Rousseau stated.
The agreement was reached with the assistance of a mediator early Tuesday morning, with the airline clarifying that the mediation discussions commenced under the condition that the union would have all 10,000 flight attendants return to work immediately. Air Canada chose not to provide further comments on the agreement until the ratification process is completed, noting that a strike or lockout is not feasible during this interim period.
Prior to the agreement, Air Canada had announced that cancellations would extend through Tuesday afternoon after the union defied a second return-to-work order. The Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the strike illegal on Monday and mandated that flight attendants return to their positions, a directive that the union chose to ignore. Earlier, union leaders also dismissed a weekend order to submit to binding arbitration and end the strike by Sunday afternoon.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board serves as an independent administrative tribunal that interprets and applies Canadian labor laws, and the government had instructed the board to intervene in this situation. Labor leaders voiced their objections to the Canadian government’s repeated use of legislation that strips workers of their right to strike, forcing them into arbitration—a measure that has been employed in recent years with workers in various sectors including ports and railways.
The union reassured its members, stating, “Your right to vote on your wages was preserved,” in a post on its website. With Air Canada operating approximately 700 flights daily, the airline estimated that around 500,000 customers would be affected by the cancellations. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, as of Monday afternoon, Air Canada had canceled at least 1,219 domestic flights and 1,339 international flights since last Thursday, when the airline began to suspend operations in anticipation of the strike.
Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, recognized as Canada’s largest airport, announced plans to deploy additional staff to assist passengers and facilitate the resumption of operations. Passengers whose flights have been impacted by the disruptions will be eligible to request a full refund through Air Canada’s website or mobile app, ensuring that affected travelers have access to necessary recourse amidst the operational challenges.
