Jazz Aviation, flight attendants reach tentative deal

Jazz Aviation and the Canadian Flight Attendant Union (CFAU) have reached a tentative collective agreement, potentially bringing an end to a labour dispute that saw flight attendants overwhelmingly authorize strike action.

The parties announced Sunday (Sept. 13) that they had resolved "all outstanding issues" through collective bargaining, with the agreement now subject to ratification.

The breakthrough comes after more than 1,000 Jazz flight attendants gave their union a strong strike mandate amid an impasse in negotiations.

The CFAU previously said 99 per cent of voting members backed a strike mandate following months of bargaining with Jazz, which operates regional flights under the Air Canada Express banner.

Flight attendants have been without a contract since Jan. 1, with compensation emerging as a key issue at the bargaining table.

Jazz had said negotiations reached an impasse and said it planned to seek the assistance of a conciliation officer as the collective bargaining process continued.

The strike vote did not mean job action was imminent, as the parties were still required to proceed through the federal labour process before flight attendants could legally strike.

The tentative agreement now puts that possibility on hold as union members prepare to vote on the deal.

No details about the terms of the tentative agreement have been disclosed. Jazz and the CFAU said further information will follow.

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