-

CUPE: Air Canada is Reinforcing the Gender Wage Gap – And They Want the Government to Help Them Do It

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Air Canada wants to reinforce the gender wage gap by forcing Air Canada flight attendants – 70% of whom identify as women – to accept a wage offer less than one-third what Air Canada offered its pilots less than a year ago.

“Air Canada’s male-dominated workforce received a significant cost-of-living wage increase. Why not the flight attendants, who are 70% women?” said Natasha Stea, President of CUPE 4091 representing Air Canada flight attendants based in Montreal.

In 2024, Air Canada gave pilots – a male-dominated profession – a 26% wage increase in year one of their new contract.

However, in 2025, Air Canada is offering flight attendants just 8% in year one of their new contract, and just a 17.2% wage increase overall over the life of a four-year deal.

Air Canada gave pilots a better wage increase in on year than flight attendants will get over the entire life of their four-year contract if Air Canada gets its way.

Now, Air Canada has threatened to lock out Air Canada flight attendants, calling flight attendant wage proposals “exorbitant” – and they want Employment Minister Patty Hajdu to impose a deal on flight attendants through forced arbitration.

Since 2015, compensation growth for female-dominated occupations in the airline industry has fallen flat while wages and compensation for pilots and maintenance personnel have increased by 31% and 14%. Air Canada wants the federal government to help them keep the trend alive. 

Contacts

Hugh Pouliot
CUPE Media Relations
613-818-0067
hpouliot@cupe.ca

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
EnglishFrench

Contacts

Hugh Pouliot
CUPE Media Relations
613-818-0067
hpouliot@cupe.ca

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

Valley View Villa could return to picket lines as employer demands concessions

STELLARTON, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Long term care workers from Valley View Villa could be back on strike after 9 weeks on the picket line and 6 weeks of renewed negotiations at the local level because their employer continues to demand the workers take concessions, which would mean accepting terms worse than their current contract. These concessions include changes to how employees earn vacation time, which could result in reduced vacation, and changes to the health insurance coverage. “We spent...

Queensway Carleton to eliminate 101 jobs as Ontario hospital funding cuts continue

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The union representing nearly 1,000 workers at Queensway Carleton is slamming the provincial government for the elimination of 101 jobs at the hospital. The hospital has notified CUPE 2875 about the layoffs, citing insufficient funding amidst rising costs of operations including drugs, salaries, and supplies. The impacted jobs include 87 nurses, seven housekeepers, and four emergency department personal care aides. “While the Premier is focused on private jets and takin...

CUPE: P3 Schools - A Mistake Alberta’s Government Keeps Making

EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alberta government has returned, again, to the failed approach of private-public partnership (P3) for the building and maintenance of schools in Alberta. The Government of Alberta announced in mid-July that seven elementary and junior high schools in Edmonton, Calgary, and Chestermere would be built using the controversial model. Typically, a P3 model means the government contracts out the design, building, financing and maintenance of the building. While...
Back to Newsroom