Nine-Hour Negotiation Results in Tentative Agreement to End the Strike

Just three days after Air Canada flight attendants walked out, the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) managed to come up with terms that both parties could agree on. The nearly 10,000 striking workers will return to the job with the expectation that they will receive ‘ground pay’.

This so-called ‘ground pay’, an insider term that simply means compensation for work done while the aircraft isn’t flying, has been at the heart of the dispute. Until now, Air Canada has been one of the many airlines to not pay its flight attendants for boarding, deplaning, or waiting during delays. CUPE wouldn’t budge until this free labor ended, and it appears the new deal delivered.

Air Canada executives confirmed that the agreement includes ground pay, describing it as “industry-leading”. Labour lawyers noted that the deal could set a precedent across the industry, though the fine print of what counts as ground time remains to be seen.

The strike began just after midnight on August 16, quickly leading to mass cancellations and stranding an estimated half a million passengers. By August 18, the Canada Industrial Relations Board had declared the strike unlawful and ordered employees back to work. CUPE initially vowed to ignore the order, claiming that “the Liberal government is rewarding Air Canada’s refusal to negotiate fairly by giving them exactly what they wanted.” Ultimately, the union returned to negotiations and, after nine hours in talks, announced the tentative agreement on August 19.

Air Canada says flight operations will gradually resume, with some flights starting up Tuesday evening, but admitted that it could take a week or more to return to normal. In the meantime, customers with cancelled flights will be offered refunds, travel credits, or rebooking options if seats can be found.

The agreement still needs to be ratified by union members, but CUPE leaders seem satisfied: "Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power.”

FMI: www.aircanada.com