Demonstrators greeted the first passengers on the opening day of MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport in Saint-Hubert. While this should have been a day of celebration, this protest reminded people that families have been left out in the cold, as the employer, Pascan Aviation, has been refusing to negotiate with strikers for more than two months now. The strikers are members of CUPE 5490, representing flight attendants at Pascan Aviation Inc.
“Our members are fighting to get a second collective agreement that fully recognizes the value of their work and their contribution by providing decent working conditions, but they are facing a stubborn employer that doesn’t hesitate to use replacement workers, further complicating the struggle to reach a fair settlement,” said Patrick Gloutney, president of CUPE-Quebec.
Joining the protest with Pascan Aviation flight attendants were allies from the labour movement, among them nearly all the senior leaders of the Quebec Federation of Labour, including Magali Picard, FTQ president, and FTQ secretary-general Olivier Carrière.
“These trade unionists are here because labour activism is a fight for social justice. The company is using replacement workers in this conflict, blatantly sidestepping anti-strike breaker legislation in a deplorable manner,” underlined Fanny Demontigny, secretary-general of CUPE-Quebec.
The union is strongly urging Pascan Aviation to get back to the bargaining table. The parties have not met in more than two months. The flight attendants have been on strike for more than seven months, since October 28, 2025.
