Air Canada evacuation in Denver highlights flight attendants’ most critical safety work remains unpaid

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The union representing 20,000 flight attendants across Canada says Sunday’s emergency evacuation of an Air Canada flight in Denver is just the latest example of how flight attendants are not compensated for their most important safety duties. The flight was evacuated by the dedicated crew after an electrical burning smell was identified onboard.

“Airlines in this country have refused to show that they value the safety of the public by refusing to compensate flight attendants when it matters most – when lives are in danger,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Airline Division of CUPE. “To make matters worse, the federal government has consistently let them off the hook for it.”

Flight attendants in Canada are typically not compensated for ground duties, including emergency response. Recent examples include incidents such as Sunday’s electrical issue, a bomb threat in Delhi in 2024, and a tarmac fire in Montreal in 2023.

Lesosky says the time has come for federal leadership to end unpaid work in the airline industry. “Unpaid work is a systemic problem requiring a systemic solution. The Liberal government needs to fix the law,” said Lesosky. “Flight attendants should not have to negotiate for the right to be paid at work – especially not when their work involves saving lives.”

CUPE has been lobbying the federal government to close loopholes in the Canada Labour Code that allow unpaid work to persist since April 2023.

On August 18, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced that her department would conduct a review into unpaid work in the airline industry, however CUPE has not had any contact or received any additional information from the Minister about her proposed review since then.

CUPE is Canada’s flight attendant union, representing 20,000 flight attendants at 11 airlines including Air Canada, Air North, Air Transat, Calm Air, Canadian North, Flair, PAL, PASCAN, Pivot, Porter, and WestJet.