Air Canada flight attendants could be poised to strike next

Air Canada’s flight attendants have launched a PR offensive as they enter contract negotiations with the airline and tensions rise over long-standing issues related to pay, working conditions and scheduling. Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), represents more than 10,000 members who have been working under the same collective agreement for a decade. With the current agreement set to expire on March 31, negotiations with Air Canada are now underway, and unpaid work is taking centre stage. Story looks at some of the key issues at play. One of the primary concerns raised by CUPE’s leadership, including Lesosky, is the issue of unpaid work. Flight attendants are currently compensated only for time spent in the air (known as in-flight credit hours), yet they perform critical tasks before and after flights. These include boarding passengers, assisting those with disabilities, conducting safety checks and managing luggage. The union estimates that flight attendants are working an average of 35 hours per month without compensation for these duties, which are mandated by Transport Canada. The anecdotal reason for the apparent pay discrepancy is an industry standard dating back to a time when flight attendants’ in-flight compensation was high enough to cover the surrounding duties.<br/>