The union representing Air Canada flight attendants says it has filed for conciliation with the federal labour minister after reaching an impasse in contract negotiations with the airline.
The Air Canada component of CUPE, which represents 10,000 Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants, said its top priority is boosting compensation, noting an entry-level full-time salary is roughly $1,951 per month.
Its previous contract with the airline, which had been in effect since 2015, expired in March.
“Everything has changed since 2015, but the company refuses to acknowledge reality,” said union president Wesley Lesosky in a press release.
“Our workloads have soared, the cost of living has skyrocketed beyond belief, and our working conditions are getting
worse by the day. The status quo won’t cut it.”
The union also wants to close what it calls loopholes in the Canada Labour Code that it says allow airlines to force flight attendants to work an average of 35 hours per month without pay.
It said its members complete certain tasks without compensation, such as boarding and deplaning, assisting passengers with mobility issues, and performing pre-flight safety checks.
CUPE represents 10,000 Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants who are pushing to end unpaid work as part of ongoing labour negotiations with the airline, as their contract expires today. Currently, attendants are only paid for the time the plane is in the air.
In a statement, Air Canada spokeperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline plans to work with the federal mediation and conciliation service to reach a deal that “recognizes our flight attendants’ valued contributions to Air Canada.”
“Air Canada has a long history of successful labour relations and fruitful negotiations with its employees, as has again
been demonstrated in the recent past,” he said.
“The federally mandated conciliation process will occur over the coming months, so customers can continue to book and travel on Air Canada with full confidence.”
Fitzpatrick declined to comment on specifics related to ongoing negotiations regarding compensation, but said the model currently in place is consistent with that at most global carriers.
“That said, we are certainly open to discuss this item with the union as part of a more general conversation about overall
compensation in our contract talks,” he said.
Once a federal conciliation officer is appointed, there will be a 60-day period for them to work with the airline and union followed by a three-week cooling-off period.
The union said if there is no agreement reached by then, it may give 72-hours’ notice of job action after a strike vote has been taken.