We are an active member of the Airline Division of CUPE.
Unpaid Work Won’t Fly Campaign
April 11, 2023: The campaign ‘Unpaid Work Won’t Fly’ was launched to change the industry standard of how Flight Attendants are paid.
April 25, 2023: A Day of Action was held across the country in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal on April 25, 2023 to start the fight against unpaid work in the Canadian Aviation Industry.
June 6, 2023: Federal Government Petition was signed by more than 17,000 people to call on the Federal Government to enact legislation to end unpaid work.
September 21, 2023: NDP MP Taylor Bachrach presented the petition on the floor of the House of Commons to be reviewed by parliament and the government now has until November 5, 2023 to provide a response.
October 3, 2023: Survey to collect examples of unpaid work sent out to members. Please submit any examples of unpaid work that you may encounter on the line. Examples: Medical emergencies on the ground, mechanical delays, IWCM incidents, etc.
– https://survey-sondage.cupe.ca/index.php/769241?lang=en
– https://survey-sondage.cupe.ca/index.php/769241?lang=fr
November 3, 2023: Federal government provides a response to the survey signed by over 17,000 Canadians. Read the response HERE.
December 12, 2023: The Airline Division of CUPE launches the ’12 Days of Unpaid Work’ media campaign to bring the scope of unpaid work to the forefront of the travelling public’s mind during the holiday travel season. View the full campaign HERE.
Website: unpaidworkwontfly.ca
Quick Facts:
In December 2022-January 2023, CUPE surveyed its airline sector membership about the issue of unpaid work, receiving responses from over 9,500 of its members. The survey found that:
- Flight attendants work an average of 34.86 hours unpaid per month. That’s almost a full week every month.
- Flight attendants are not paid for boarding, which can take up to an hour.
Flight attendants are not paid for their pre-flight prep and safety checks. - 99.5% of flight attendants aren’t paid when they’re checking in through security, even though they’re at work in uniform.
- 98.6% of flight attendants aren’t paid while passengers deplane after a flight, even though they are still assisting passengers disembark.
- 75% of flight attendants are only paid a partial wage for mandatory regulatory training, even though airlines and the federal government require several training days per year.
- 98.4% of flight attendants are not paid when the plane is being held at the gate after landing, even though they are still assisting passengers, often in elevated temperatures.
