Air Canada flight attendants making their threat to strike for the duration of the hot summer travel season. They were protesting against the unjust practice of not paying cabin crew for the work they do on the ground before flights depart. This simple action cast a spotlight on the aviation industry’s biggest challenge in North America. It’s common for many flight attendants, particularly junior staff, to regularly fly for free.
The strike was short-lived as both parties reached a tentative agreement Tuesday, bringing attendants back to work. The strike focused on the practice of unpaid preparatory work on the ground. This problem especially affects junior flight attendants, particularly those working the shorter flights. Leslie Woolaver, a long-time Air Canada flight attendant, described her experience. She shared that she does an average of 40 hours of unpaid work per month.
In a press release, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the union representing Air Canada’s flight attendants, highlighted how severe the consequences are. CUPE has previously condemned unpaid work as “one of the dirtiest secrets in this industry.” During late December 2022, CUPE surveyed their members and it revealed a disturbing truth. Nearly 10,000 flight attendants do not get paid for roughly one week each month.
Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s airline division, highlighted that unpaid work represents a significant issue for Air Canada flight attendants. That sentiment was echoed across Canada, with widespread public support for the striking flight attendants sparking a wave of #FairnessForFlightAttendants sentiment. Polls showed that the vast majority of Canadians were with the cabin crew in support of their struggle for just compensation.
Air Canada flight attendants have not been alone in their fight against unpaid ground work. Cabin crews at other Canadian airlines, such as Air Transat and WestJet, suffer under the same wage discrimination. US-based Delta Airlines made headlines in 2022 by becoming the first North American airline to offer pay for ground work. CUPE celebrated this decision as “historic,” putting an end to unpaid labor for Delta’s employees.
Labour experts believe that if Air Canada led the way by implementing fair ground pay, it would trigger a major transformation across the industry. John Gradek, a business professor and aviation management expert at McGill University, said introducing ground pay for Air Canada workers could start a “tsunami” effect. If finalized, this change would be the first to force all of North America’s largest airlines to reconsider their compensation practices. Gradek considers ground pay an easy win for Air Canada flight attendants. He is hopeful that the airline will do everything in its power to keep wages robust enough to remain competitive.
So even though they reached a tentative agreement, any additional strikes by Air Canada flight attendants would be illegal under existing labor statutes. With any future wage disputes, it’s a near certainty that they’ll be resolved in arbitration instead of a strike.
“Ground pay is settled. Our flight attendants will be paid for time on the ground.” – Mark Nasr
As the landscape continues to change, Air Canada flight attendants continue to be on guard as they continue to weather the fight for equitable compensation. The recent strike and subsequent agreement spotlight a critical issue within the aviation industry and reflect a broader movement towards addressing workers’ rights across various sectors.