After several false startsthe resumption of flights at Air Canada. An agreement has been reached with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The Canadian airline announced on Tuesday that it "will gradually resume service today after reaching a mediated agreement with the union representing its flight attendants".
The company's management said on Tuesday: "as is customary, Air Canada will not comment on the agreement until the ratification process is complete. During any ratification or under the binding arbitration process, a strike or lock-out is not an option, which means that customers can plan, book and travel with Air Canada with confidence"..
The previous announcement of the lifting of the strike, ordered unilaterally by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) at the instigation of Minister Patty Hajdu, did not last long. CUPE refused to return to work, effectively prolonging the strike. strike launched on 16 August. This time, the agreement seems to have been accepted by the various parties involved.
Seven to ten days for a real return to normality
The first flights are scheduled for the evening of 19 August.. However, the resumption of Air Canada flights will be gradual, as stated by the airline's management, which expects a period of seven to ten days for a true return to normal operations. Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, said: " The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologise for the impact this labour dispute has had on them. Our priority now is to get them to their destination as quickly as possible. Restoring service to a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex task. Fully restoring our operations could take one week or more. We therefore ask our customers to be patient and understanding over the next few days. I want to assure them that everyone at Air Canada is doing everything possible to enable them to board a flight soon. ".
In the wake of this, the SCFP union hailed a "historic struggle": " Flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge have reached an agreement in principle, radically transforming our industry after a historic struggle to assert our Charter rights. We put an end to unpaid work. We regained our voice and our power. When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought - and we reached a tentative agreement that our members can endorse. ".
