The union representing Air Canada’s flight attendants has ended its strike after reaching a tentative wage agreement with the airline, bringing relief to travelers affected by widespread cancellations.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents about 10,000 flight attendants, announced on Tuesday that the strike had been suspended following mediated negotiations that resumed late Monday.
“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 that members are required to cooperate with the resumption of operations while the deal is put to a vote.
The strike, which began just after midnight on Saturday, had disrupted flights for nearly half a million passengers. The union had defied a regulatory tribunal’s back-to-work order on Sunday, forcing Air Canada to delay efforts to partially restore its schedule.
Air Canada confirmed the agreement in a statement, saying it would begin gradually resuming flights from Tuesday evening, though it warned that full service could take up to a week to restore.
“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,” Air Canada president Michael Rousseau said.
