Air Canada, flight attendants union reach tentative deal to end strike

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Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants have reached a tentative deal to end a strike that began on Saturday morning.

The airline said it will gradually begin operations Tuesday.

The two sides met through the night with a federal mediator before reaching a tentative agreement that will be brought to members of the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“Your right to vote on your wages was preserved,” the union said in a post on its website announcement the end of the strike.

The union also said it must advise that members must “fully co-operate with resumption of operations.”

Air Canada said the first flights are scheduled for Tuesday evening, but cautioned that the return to full, regular service may require seven to 10 days as aircraft and crew are out of position and that some flights will continue to be cancelled until the schedule is stabilized.

“Only customers with confirmed bookings whose flights are shown as operating should go to the airport,” the airline said.

Air Canada said it will offer options to those with cancelled flights, including a full refund or receiving a credit for future travel. It will also offer to rebook customers on other airlines where possible.

The federal government intervened in the strike on Saturday morning, invoking Section 107 of the Labour Code to force the Montreal-based airline and the union into binding arbitration.

That order was defied by union officials, leading the Canada Industrial Relations Board to state Monday that the strike was unlawful even as the union said it would press ahead.