CUPE: Air Canada Flight Attendants Forced to Issue Strike Notice to End Unpaid Work

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Air Canada Component of CUPE has issued a 72-hour strike notice to Air Canada after the airline refused to recognize that flight attendants should be paid for all their time on the job. Air Canada responded by issuing a 72-hour lockout notice.

"For the past nine months, we have put forward solid, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work, all rooted in fairness and industry standards," said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE. "Air Canada's response to our proposals makes one thing clear: they are not interested in resolving these critical issues."

The airline is also refusing to increase flight attendant wages to match industry standards, inflation, or even federal minimum wage. Entry-level flight attendant wages have only gone up $3 per hour since 2000 while inflation has increased by 69% in the same timeframe.

"Our locals have had to set up food banks in our union offices for junior members who cannot afford groceries," said Lesosky. "Our members need and deserve a fair wage increase that makes everyone whole for the skyrocketing cost of living, and one that lifts our junior flight attendants out of poverty."

Air Canada's offer of an 8% wage increase in year one would not even recoup the 9% that flight attendants have lost in purchasing power over the course of their previous contract. It is, in effect, a pay cut.

Air Canada is clearly banking on the federal government bailing them out by pre-empting flight attendants' Charter-protected right to take job action. "When we stood together, Air Canada didn't come to the table in good faith," Lesosky added. "Instead, they called on the federal government to step in and take our rights away. Despite the company’s abhorrent attempts to pre-emptively take away our Charter rights, we remain at the bargaining table, ready to negotiate and avert a shutdown.”