Long-Term Damage Happening to Canada’s Airlines: CUPE

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monday's financial update from Ottawa provided no support for Canada's struggling airlines.

CUPE local 4070 represents 4,100 cabin crew members at WestJet and its affiliates. The union joined business, industry experts and others this week in sounding the alarm about the future of Canada's airlines.

“After months of inaction, Canada remains the only G7 country with no relief package for airlines," said CUPE 4070 President Chris Rauenbusch.

"Our voices are raw from screaming about this issue: if the Liberals don't do something immediately, Canada will be without airlines." Rauenbusch said the Liberal approach of prioritizing regional service above all is the wrong approach. Rauenbusch said regional service thrives when airlines have thriving networks to connect to.

"Viewing regional service in isolation simply won't work."

“Canada’s airlines are losing market-share to well-supported carriers from around the world," said Rauenbusch. "Over 100,000 Canadians employed by airlines are waiting for action, and we're not seeing anything.”

In a statement this week, the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) said, “This lack of action does not reflect the economic importance of the sector to Canada's overall recovery, nor the need to ensure Canada's largest carriers can continue to compete internationally.”

"If the Liberals keep ignoring the airline sector, we will never return to work," said Rauenbusch. "And Canadians will travel on foreign carriers supported by foreign governments. This is not how we return our country to stability.”

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