WestJet head office in Calgary on Saturday, June 29, 2024. Jim Wells/Postmedia

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WestJet and the union representing its flight attendants reached a tentative agreement Monday to end the strike that began a day earlier.

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With 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.

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“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.

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More than 80 WestJet flights in and out of the Calgary International Airport were cancelled Saturday and Sunday, according to a WestJet employee.

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As of Monday morning, most WestJet flights out of Calgary remained cancelled.

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“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.

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“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.”

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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.

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WestJet said it will share further details on the return to operations as they become available.

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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.

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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.

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“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.”

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A spokesperson for the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games said she is cautiously optimistic about the tentative agreement.

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“We’re still watching how things may change,” Games chair Natalie Sauer told Postmedia.

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She said the organization had begun making alternate plans on Sunday when it appeared flights would be cancelled.

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The Games, which will be held between Aug. 11 and 15 in Medicine Hat, will host 650 athletes and staff from across Canada.

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“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.