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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

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