Air Canada and the union representing 10,000 striking flight attendants were holding early discussions on Monday night, the union said in a statement, the first such talks in nearly a week.

In what is being called a “terrible precedent” by CUPE and a “blatant misuse” of the Labour Code by opposition MPs, federal Jobs minister Patty Hajdu has ordered Air Canada flight attendants back to work while the airline and union undergo binding arbitration.