Air Canada’s unionized flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement with the country’s largest airline, easing fears of more travel disruptions.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,400 flight attendants, confirmed it will present the deal to members in the coming days.
The airline had previously offered a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years, including a 25 per cent raise in the first year. The union said that offer was not enough and pushed for pay covering tasks like boarding passengers, which are currently unpaid. Flight attendants are only compensated once the plane is moving.
CUPE’s push also aimed to match or exceed recent gains won by U.S. airline workers, including attendants at American Airlines.
The agreement provides relief for Air Canada after hundreds of flights were canceled. The airline and its low-cost affiliate, Air Canada Rouge, typically serve about 130,000 passengers daily and operate the most flights to the U.S. among foreign carriers.