Flair flight attendants secure new pay for pre-flight work

EDMONTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Flight attendants at Flair Airlines have secured new compensation for work performed before flights, under an agreement reached between Flair Airlines and CUPE 4060. The agreement builds on gains CUPE flight attendants have made at other airline bargaining tables as part of the union’s Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign.

“This is not the end of the road, but this agreement is an important step toward recognizing that when flight attendants are required to be at work, they should be getting paid,” said Teenisha Raju, president of CUPE 4060. “Our members’ responsibilities begin well before passengers board the aircraft, and we’re pleased to have secured additional compensation for that work.”

Beginning January 1, 2027, flight attendants who are required to report at least 60 minutes before a flight will receive additional pay for that time. They will be paid 25% of their normal hourly wage for that hour in 2027, increasing to 50% in 2028.

The agreement was reached more than two years before CUPE 4060’s current collective agreement expires on December 31, 2028.

“We appreciate Flair’s willingness to work with the union to make progress on this issue before the next round of bargaining, even though they were under no obligation to do so,” said Raju.

The agreement will remain in effect through the end of the current collective agreement and does not limit what the union can pursue in future bargaining.