CUPE blasts federal government over response to ‘unpaid’ flight attendant labour

A public-sector union representing thousands of Canadian aviation workers is slamming the federal government over its response to a campaign calling on airlines to compensate flight attendants for allegedly unpaid labour. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) accuses the government of turning a blind eye to unpaid work in the airline sector after its lukewarm response to a petition the union said is signed by over 17,000 Canadians. “These are not the words of a minister who cares about workers being exploited by billion-dollar companies,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the CUPE Airline Division. “But now we know whose side [labour minister Seamus] O’Regan and Prime Minister Trudeau are really on.” In its petition, CUPE alleges flight attendants work an average of 35 hours unpaid every month for duties including boarding, pre-flight safety checks and ground delays, citing a survey it conducted with over 9,000 workers. The union also said flight attendants are only paid half their hourly rate for Transport Canada-mandated training. CUPE called on the government to fix legislation and regulations to ensure employees are being paid at their contractual rate — and no less than federal minimum wage — from the moment their work duties begin. This would include time spent on training, waiting at the worksite to be assigned work, or remaining at the worksite at their employer’s disposal. In its response to the petition, tabled Nov. 3, 2023, the government acknowledged these concerns and noted all employees in federally regulated workplaces have the right to file a complaint if they believe their employer has contravened provisions of the Canada Labour Code.<br/>