Air Canada Flight Attendants to Picket at Four Major Airports

An Air Canada flight departing for Calgary takes off at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on March 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Air Canada flight attendants are set to stage a picket at airports across four major Canadian cities today in what their union is calling a national day of action.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says picket lines are planned at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, and Calgary International Airport at 1 p.m. ET.

“We are inviting ALL members to stand in solidarity with your Bargaining Committee, while they bargain, as we continue to push for a fair deal at the table,” the union said in a notice on its website.

CUPE’s Air Canada chapter represents more than 10,000 flight attendants, who’ve been in contract negotiations since the beginning of the year. The union said its goal is to raise awareness about what it described as “poverty wages” and unpaid labour associated with working on aircraft while they are on the ground.

A website dubbed Unfair Canada has also been set up to highlight the issue.

“Air Canada Flight Attendants are only paid when the plane is moving,” the site says. “Thousands of unpaid hours go into ensuring your safety—from boarding and deplaning to medical emergencies. It’s time to shine an overhead light on this underhanded practice.”

The salaries of entry-level flight attendants is another issue raised by CUPE, saying they’ve risen just 10 percent in the past 25 years.

Entry-level flight attendants typically earn approximately $40,000 annually, while those with more experience can make more than $80,000, according to Vancouver-based Eton College.

Negotiations with the airline first broke down in July, leading to an Aug. 5 vote when members overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike, the union said. Flight attendants could walk off the job as of Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m., provided they give at least 72 hours’ notice.

The two parties have been involved in contract discussions since the beginning of the year, and the strike mandate arises after the airline and the union completed a conciliation process without achieving a settlement.

Air Canada said it’s “determined to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement that recognizes the contributions of its flight attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company.”

The company said it is confident there is still an opportunity to negotiate a deal and prevent disrupting the travel plans of thousands of customers.

The negotiations impact flight attendants working for Air Canada’s main operations, as well as for Air Canada Rouge.

The Canadian Press and Paul Rowan Brown contributed to this report.