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Or sign-in if you have an account.WestJet head office in Calgary on Saturday, June 29, 2024. Jim Wells/PostmediaWestJet and the union representing its flight attendants reached a tentative agreement Monday to end the strike that began a day earlier.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorWith the strike over, flight attendants will return to work. If ratified, the agreement will recognize extra duties cabin crew are required to perform during the course of their jobs, and increase pay for that work.“This tentative agreement represents meaningful progress. It evolves the flight credit system by recognizing more of the work cabin crew are required to perform, and with general increases to compensation for that work. Most importantly, this agreement was achieved through collective bargaining at the negotiating table. We will now present the agreement to our members for their review and ratification vote,” CUPE Local 8125 president Alia Hussain said in a news release.More than 80 WestJet flights in and out of the Calgary International Airport were cancelled Saturday and Sunday, according to a WestJet employee.Breaking business news, incisive views, must-reads and market signals. Weekdays by 9 a.m.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Posthaste will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAs of Monday morning, most WestJet flights out of Calgary remained cancelled.“We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that reflects the hard work and professionalism of our cabin crew,” WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said in a news release. “We know this disruption has been frustrating for our guests and WestJetters, and we’re sorry for that.“Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we get back to normal.”The tentative agreement will now be presented to the union’s 4,400 members for review and a ratification vote. Details of the agreement will be shared directly with members before the vote.WestJet said it will share further details on the return to operations as they become available.Gabor Lukacs, an advocate for air passengers, said the fate of the carrier’s customers depends on when flight attendants return to their jobs. He said it would be reasonable to expect striking employees to begin working within 24 hours.Any other delay would be considered a labour management issue, which would make WestJet responsible for financial compensation in addition to rebooking its passengers on competitor airlines within 48 hours of their original flight.“The question is, when are the workers going to be back?” Lukacs said. “I’m wondering if they are now holding a quicker ratification vote, and maybe they still remain on strike while it happens . . . It is a possibility. But I think both WestJet and the union have to answer those questions to the public.”A spokesperson for the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games said she is cautiously optimistic about the tentative agreement.“We’re still watching how things may change,” Games chair Natalie Sauer told Postmedia.She said the organization had begun making alternate plans on Sunday when it appeared flights would be cancelled.The Games, which will be held between Aug. 11 and 15 in Medicine Hat, will host 650 athletes and staff from across Canada.“You can envision how every corner of the country has been impacted,” she said, adding the organization’s various chapters are working with travel agents in light of the latest development, even if it means delays of a few hours.“We have all these charter buses that have to pick them up,” Sauer said. “There are 30 of them and (delays) would now change the time that these folks would be coming in and going.“So there’s a lot to organize at the Calgary Airport alone, just to get them here to Medicine Hat.”Most international WestJet flights from Calgary were on time while many domestic ones were cancelled or delayed.At the airport, a steady stream of passengers were making their way to the ticket counter to check in their luggage.Among them was Craig Harle, who was on his way to Reykjavík, Iceland. He said he was worried about having his flights cancelled and, consequently, lose money on his accommodation and car rentals he had booked months in advance.But when he awoke today, he was relieved, although he is still holding his breath before he takes off.“When I get on the plane, I’ll be good,” he said.A WestJet employee at the airport said it would take the airline close to a week to clear its backlog of cancelled flights and resume regular operations.Murtaza Hassan was pushing a trolley full of luggage outside WestJet’s check-in counter. He was travelling back home with this parents to Montreal after a relative’s wedding in Calgary. He also shared in Harle’s anxiety when he woke up Monday morning, but said his flight confirmation eased his worries.However, his uncles and cousins, who had been travelling on Sunday, weren’t as lucky. Many now have their tickets booked six days later.“They’re going to miss one week of work.”Catch up with the day’s headlines, curated by our editors and delivered to your email inbox at lunchtime on every business day. Sign up now for the Calgary Herald Noon News Roundup. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.