CUPE : Air Canada Flight Attendants Stage National Day of Action to End Unpaid Work and Win a Fair Contract
TORONTO — Air Canada flight attendants staged a national day of action at airports across Canada on Monday, to highlight the rampant abuse of unpaid work in the airline industry, and the need for a fair contract.
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The flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), recently authorized their union to take strike action, in a near unanimous vote, in their current round of negotiations with Air Canada if a contract cannot be reached that addresses unpaid labour and poverty wages for junior flight attendants, in particular.
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'There is very clear path for Air Canada to avoid job action: pay your workers when they're on the clock, and pay them a wage that allows them to live and work in dignity. That isn't an unreasonable ask,' said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE which represents over 10,000 flight attendants across the country.
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'We're proud to put on this uniform and help keep the public safe on their journey, but the days of us doing it for free or for poverty wages must end.'
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'Air Canada flight attendants from coast to coast came together today to stand up for each other, and for the pride and dignity of this profession. We're standing together for respect and a fair contract that matches to the professionalism and dedication we bring to work every day.'
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The latest round of bargaining comes at the end of a 10-year contract which expired on March 31, 2025. Flight attendants have been crushed by inflation and rising costs over the life of the contract. Junior flight attendants who work full-time and earn just $1,952 per month before taxes are bearing the worst. Meanwhile, all flight attendants put in hours and hours of unpaid work every week performing critical safety-related duties, as well as boarding, deplaning, and attending to emergencies onboard.
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'Air Canada has posted billions in profits in the past few years, they can afford to pay their workers fairly without adding new costs for the public,' added Lesosky.
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The two sides currently remain at the bargaining table and the union remains optimistic that Air Canada will recognize the important role that their flight attendants – who have been voted Best Cabin Crew in North America by SkyTrax for several years in a row – play in making it such a profitable company. Air Canada has an opportunity to set an example in the airline industry by ending unpaid work and ending poverty wages for junior flight attendants.
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