Air Canada strike ends after tentative agreement with flight attendants

The Air Canada strike has ended after flight attendants reached a tentative agreement with the airline, both parties said early Tuesday.

“The Strike has ended,” the Canadian Union of Public Employees said in a Facebook post advising its membership to “fully cooperate with resumption of operations.”

Air Canada said that it would gradually restart operations Tuesday but that a return to “full restoration may require a week or more.”

“The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers,” Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau said in a statement. “We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption.”

More than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday over pay and scheduling disputes.

The Canadian Industrial Relations Board directed Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to “resume their duties” by 2 p.m. ET Sunday after Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu imposed binding arbitration and extended the existing contract until a new agreement was reached.

But the Canadian Union of Public Employees called the order “blatantly unconstitutional” and said its members would remain on strike.

In a statement, union secretary and treasurer Candace Rennick said the government’s order was “a disgraceful misuse of power that reeks of systemic bias and corporate favoritism.”

The airline estimated Monday that 500,000 customers’ flights had been canceled because of the strike.