-

CUPE : Flight attendants will rally to end unpaid work to Parliament Hill

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Flight attendants from across Canada represented by CUPE will descend on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, September 16 to call on Ottawa to finally act to end unpaid work in Canada’s airline industry.

The recent labour dispute at Air Canada centred around the airline’s abuse of unpaid work and put the issue into the spotlight. Industry-wide in Canada, flight attendants work on average 35 hours every month for free, performing vital safety-related duties including pre-flight safety checks, attending to onboard emergencies, assisting passengers with additional needs, boarding, deplaning, and delays.

“Unpaid work is a systemic issue requiring a systemic solution,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division representing 20,000 flight attendants at 11 airlines in Canada. “Flight attendants should not have to negotiate - or go on strike - for a right that every other Canadian already enjoys: to be paid for their time at work. The federal government must act without delay to end this abusive practice in our industry.”

WHEN: September 16, 12:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: East Lawn, Parliament Hill

WHO: Wesley Lesosky, President, CUPE Airline Division
Alia Hussain, President, CUPE 8125 (WestJet)
Mark Hancock, National President, CUPE
Don Davies, Interim NDP Leader

Contacts

Nathalie Garceau, CUPE Communications
ngarceau@cupe.ca
514-594-2747

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
EnglishFrench

Contacts

Nathalie Garceau, CUPE Communications
ngarceau@cupe.ca
514-594-2747

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

Striking workers to rally outside state of the province address by Premier Houston

HALIFAX, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Striking long term care workers from across Nova Scotia will be collapsing picket lines and converging outside of Premier Tim Houston’s state of the province address today. All Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members in Nova Scotia, community and political allies, as well as labour leaders will be speaking to the ‘state of long term care’ at a rally this afternoon. "It’s time our elected representatives listened to their constituents. We’re not just worke...

CUPE warns Carney government against unprecedented attack on workers’ rights

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE, Canada’s largest union, is warning the federal Liberals against moving on proposals to curb the Charter-protected right to strike and further tilt the balance of power toward major corporations and employers. While CUPE remains open to discussing ways to improve labour relations and preventing conflicts, CUPE National President Mark Hancock says the changes – proposed in a discussion paper as part of a hasty federal consultation on reforming the labour code – seem...

CUPE Ontario warns Carney Liberals: Remember what happens when governments try to remove workers’ right to strike

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ontario’s largest union expressed its shock at federal Liberal proposals to designate more workers “essential” as a way of removing their right to strike and it warned Prime Minister Carney that attempts to abrogate workers’ Charter-protected rights to free collective bargaining would be met with fierce resistance from labour. “The Carney Liberals must have the shortest memories ever,” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “They appear to have already forgotten that l...
Back to Newsroom