When Air Canada flight attendants staged a walkout recently, their powerful motto was clear: “Unpaid work won’t fly.” For years, cabin crew in North America have worked on the ground without getting paid. In Europe, flight attendants receive monthly salaries, making the situation in Canada sound shocking to many passengers who back the strikers. A swift resolution was reached, bringing flights back after a brief but chaotic summer hiatus.
The tentative agreement between Air Canada and the Canadian Union for Public Employees (Cupe) is promising—offering a pay increase and, notably, partial compensation for ground work such as boarding duties. This could establish a new industry standard for North American aviation workers. However, the deal's contents remain unclear, and many flight attendants are reportedly unhappy, casting uncertainty over its approval.
Across the board, cabin crew at other Canadian airlines like Air Transat and WestJet, as well as at US-based United Airlines, also lack pay for ground tasks. Air Canada flight attendants have highlighted that many perform about 40 hours of unpaid labor every month, a huge burden for junior members. Experts suggest that the sector’s landscape may shift dramatically following this strike, echoing the significant changes initiated by Delta Airlines who started compensating ground work in 2022.
The pandemic changed the game, increasing responsibilities amid new boarding protocols, further pressuring flight crew to work unpaid hours. As labor rights gain attention, Air Canada has announced that they will provide “industry leading compensation” should the deal be ratified. The winds of change are blowing across the aviation sector, with upcoming negotiations for Air Transat and WestJet likely to address ground pay and ensure competitive wages.
Experts believe that this could be a pivotal moment for labor rights in Canada, especially given the public's support for the striking workforce. A union advocate praised this negotiation as a triumph, reshaping the future of pay standards for airline employees.
