**WestJet and its cabin crew union, CUPE Local 8125, have reached a tentative agreement to end a strike that disrupted the Canadian carrier's operations during a peak summer holiday weekend.** The deal, announced in the early hours of August 3, comes after intense negotiations and will now be presented to the union's 4,400 members for ratification. WestJet has already begun a phased resumption of its flight schedule, which had been severely curtailed during the industrial action. The core of the dispute centered on how cabin crew are compensated. Under the previous system, WestJet's flight attendants were primarily paid based on 'flight credits'—a common North American model where pay is triggered only when the aircraft moves from the gate and stops upon arrival. This system fails to account for the substantial work performed before and after the flight, such as pre-flight briefings, safety and security checks, cabin preparation, passenger boarding and deplaning, and managing connections. The union argued that this 'duty time'—from sign-on to sign-off—should be properly recognized and compensated. CUPE Local 8125 President Alia Hussain hailed the tentative agreement as a significant advancement, noting that it revises the flight credit system to better acknowledge the work cabin crew perform, while also providing general wage increases. The deal, if ratified, would set a new precedent for how airlines in North America value the non-flying time of their cabin crews, a topic that has been a growing point of contention across the industry. The strike had a major impact on WestJet's network. According to data from Cirium, 615 flights were cancelled through August 4, affecting approximately 250,000 passengers. The airline had proactively reduced its schedule to avoid stranding aircraft, crews, and passengers away from their bases, leading to the suspension of operations on its Boeing 737 and 787 fleets. The timing was particularly challenging, as the strike coincided with a Canadian holiday weekend, a period of high travel demand. While the tentative agreement marks a positive step forward, it is not yet final. The union will now present the full text of the agreement to its members, who will have the final say in a ratification vote. If approved, the new contract will bring significant changes to how WestJet's cabin crew are compensated, potentially influencing similar negotiations at other airlines. For aviation professionals, this dispute highlights the importance of fair compensation for all aspects of a crew member's duty, not just the time spent in the air.