After WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants reached their tentative deal to resume work after a brief work stoppage, neither side is sharing specifics yet.

Earlier, the airline had said it proposed a 13% pay increase starting in October, and then a 2.5% increase in each of the next three years until 2029. WestJet also said it offered a new duty pay premium, equivalent to another 12% salary increase, which WestJet said is designed to solve the cabin crew’s claim of unpaid work.

In a news conference in Calgary yesterday, CUPE local 8125 president Alia Hussain said the flight attendants have 30 days to ratify the agreement, and the union will spend the coming days preparing a slide show to present to the members.

She said the deal includes pay increases, but wouldn’t provide any further details in order to let members learn of it first.

The federal government says that airlines in Canada and internationally typically compensate flight attendants for their flight time or for a block of hours based on what the industry calls a credit-based system. It generally provides supplements to cover non-flight duties, although unions have been calling for more.

Hussain did, however suggest the new deal addresses concerns around unpaid work.

“It improves on the long-standing flight credit system by recognizing more of the work that cabin crew are required to perform and increasing the compensation for that work,” Hussain told reporters outside the airport in Calgary.

“We wouldn’t bring a deal to our membership if we didn’t believe the puzzle pieces, in the way that they would come together, would be something they would ratify based on the circumstances we were facing.”

Flight attendants walked off the job early Sunday morning, after failing to reach a new contract with the airline. WestJet then grounded all flights on a long summer weekend across much of Canada.

Contract talks had been ongoing in Calgary since January, with WestJet and the CUPE WestJet Component at odds over wage increases and the cabin crew’s claim of unpaid ground work.

Flights were slowly starting to resume yesterday afternoon.

“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,” said WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech in an Aug. 3 statement.

Source: Travelweek and The Canadian Press