Flight attendants across Canada represented by CUPE are welcoming new legislation from the federal NDP that will finally make it illegal for airlines to force flight attendants to perform countless hours of work for free every month.
The private members bill, introduced by interim NDP leader Don Davies, would amend the Canada Labour Code to ensure flight attendants are paid at their full negotiated hourly rate, for all duties, including pre-flight, post-flight, and training.
Currently, flight attendants in Canada perform 35 hours of unpaid work every month, on average. Those unpaid duties include vital safety-related tasks during the boarding and deplaning process, as well as pre-flight safety checks and attending to medical and safety emergencies on the ground.
“This is about fairness and respect,” said Natasha Stea, president of CUPE 4091 representing Air Canada flight attendants based in Montreal, who was on hand for the announcement. “For years, flight attendants have been expected to work for free during boarding, delays, and deplaning, all while ensuring passenger safety. It’s time the law caught up with reality: all work deserves to be paid.”
This summer’s historic Air Canada flight attendant strike brought national attention to the issue of unpaid work. Despite being among the most profitable corporations in the country, Air Canada and other major carriers still rely on unpaid labour for essential parts of flight attendants’ duties.
“Workers should not have to negotiate for the right to be paid while they’re at work. It should be the minimum standard and the law of the land,” Stea continued.
“This is not a partisan issue; nine in ten Canadians agree that unpaid work needs to end,” said Stea, calling on all parties to pass the bill into law quickly. “Support this bill, and stand on the right side of history.”
CUPE is Canada’s flight attendant union, representing 20,000 cabin crew at 11 airlines across Canada.