Canada’s flight attendants launch “12 Days of Unpaid Work” series to kick off busy holiday travel season

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The union representing flight attendants across Canada has launched a “12 Days of Unpaid Work” series in advance of the busy holiday travel season, to highlight the myriad ways flight attendants are forced to work for free for major airlines.

You can view the series here.

“All we want for Christmas this year is pay for time worked,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Airline Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 18,500 flight attendants at ten airlines in Canada. “Airline executives across Canada need to know that forcing overworked flight attendants to work unpaid for almost a full work-week every month is a one-way ticket to the naughty list.”

The series is part of CUPE’s Airline Division’s Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign, a joint effort of ten airline groups to combat the abuse of unpaid work in the airline sector which sees the average flight attendant work 35 hours per month unpaid.

As a general rule, flight attendants are only compensated while the aircraft is in motion – which means countless duties ranging from pre-flight safety checks to boarding, to deplaning, to customs and security are not paid. Learn more at unpaidworkwontfly.ca.

Trudeau government sides with big airlines, turns blind eye to unpaid work: CUPE

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The federal government says it will turn a blind eye to the issue of unpaid work in the airline sector, where flight attendants work an average of 35 hours unpaid every month, according to a petition response tabled in the House of Commons on Friday by Labour Minister Seamus O’ReganPeople holding flags and protest signs that say unpaid work won't fly

The petition, submitted by CUPE Airline Division President Wesley Lesosky and signed by over 17,000 Canadians, called on the federal government to close loopholes that allow big airlines to force flight attendants to perform hours of unpaid work every day. O’Regan’s office issued its official response to the petition on November 3, declaring it would be keeping those loopholes open.

“These are not the words of a minister who cares about workers being exploited by billion-dollar companies,” said Lesosky. “But now we know whose side Minister O’Regan and Prime Minister Trudeau are really on.”

CUPE’s Airline Division launched the Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign in April 2023 to draw attention to the issue of mandatory unpaid work within the airline industry, and filed the petition to the House of Commons as part of its campaign.

Lesosky thanked and acknowledged the thousands of CUPE members and citizens across Canada who signed the petition. “Our 18,500 members are engaged and determined, and we will not accept this reality going forward. We never expected this to be an easy fight, but we know this is just the first of many steps, and we know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We’re going to end this abusive practice with or without the federal government’s help.”

CUPE will be filing complaints through the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). Lesosky also acknowledged that the federal government’s refusal to act and end this injustice only increases the possibility of job action during future rounds of bargaining.

“Make no mistake: the federal government has chosen its side and failed to address this critical issue, leaving the door open to potential job action in the future which may have a negative impact on the public,” said Lesosky. “We hope the government takes the same hands-off approach in the future if this comes to pass during negotiations at the bargaining table.”

Link to the original article from CUPE National can be viewed HERE.

Historic petition to end unpaid work for flight attendants lands in the House of Commons

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Flight attendents walking through an airport An historic petition has landed in the House of Commons, calling on the federal government to fix loopholes that allow airlines to require flight attendants to work an average of 35 hours every month for free

The petition was launched by CUPE’s Airline Division, and sponsored by NDP MP Taylor Bachrach, who serves as his party’s Transport critic. The petition received over 17,000 signatures in just a month!

You can watch Taylor introducing the petition in the House of Commons here.

The Liberal government now has until November 5, 2023 to respond. Will they side with thousands of flight attendants at Canadian airlines, or will they side with the airline executives requiring flight attendants to work 35 hours every month for free?

Flight attendants and workers across Canada will be watching.

Link to the Original article from CUPE National HERE

Over 17,000 sign petition telling the House of Commons: unpaid work won’t fly!

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Canada’s flight attendants have taken their fight against unpaid work to the floor of the House of Commons, with a petition calling on the federal government to close loopholes in the Canada Labour Code that allow airlines to make flight attendants perform 35 hours of unpaid work, on average, every month.

In total, 17,012 people across Canada signed Petition e-4470, which was sponsored by NDP MP Taylor Bachrach, who serves as his party’s critic for Transport.

“This should serve notice to all Parliamentarians, no matter what their party is, that Canadians at large are behind us in our fight against unpaid work,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division, which represents 18,500 flight attendants across Canada.

Once the House of Commons resumes sitting after the summer break, Mr. Bachrach will be able to formally table the petition in the House, after which the federal government will have 45 days to formally respond.

“We look forward to hearing where Prime Minister Trudeau and his government stand,” continued Lesosky. “Do they stand with ordinary working people in the airline sector who just want to be paid for our hours worked, or do they stand with the airline executives who think it’s okay to require us to work 35 hours a month for free?”

Link to original article on cupe.ca can be found HERE.

Flight attendants stage nationwide day of action to end unpaid work

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Unpaid work won’t fly. That’s the message that hundreds of CUPE flight attendants and supporters brought to events at airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal on Tuesday as part of a National Day of Action against the widespread abuse of unpaid work in the airline industry.

“Our members are tired of working a 10- or 12-hour shift but only getting paid for 6 or 8 hours, while they struggle to pay their bills and their rent,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division.

A recent survey showed that flight attendants in Canada perform, on average, 35 hours of unpaid duties every month. Depending on the airline, unpaid duties typically include pre-flight safety checks, the boarding process, deplaning, and ground delays at the gate. Training is usually paid at half the hourly rate. Altogether, flight attendants put in nearly a full work-week without pay every month.

“Today, across Canada, and across so many different airlines, we spoke with one voice and told the airlines and the federal government it’s time to end this unfair, unjust practice,” continued Lesosky. “What’s clear after today is: flight attendants are united, we are determined, and we aren’t going to stop until all of us get the fair pay we’re owed for the time we’ve worked.”

The day of action is part of the Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign, launched by CUPE’s Airline Division earlier in April. Already, over 27,000 people have signed on to support the campaign at unpaidworkwontfly.ca.

CUPE’s Airline Division represents approximately 18,500 flight attendants at Air Canada (including Air Canada Rouge), WestJet (including WestJet Encore and Swoop), Air Transat, Sunwing, Calm Air, PAL Airlines, Canadian North, Flair Airlines, Pivot, and PasCan.

Canada’s flight attendants tell airlines “unpaid work won’t fly”, launch campaign tackling unpaid work

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Flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have launched the “Unpaid Work Won’t Fly” campaign, a national effort to end the widespread abuse of unpaid work in the airline sector that sees the average flight attendant in Canada work 35 hours every month for freeFlight attendants walk through airport

“Much of the Canadian public has no idea that when flight attendants are doing their pre-flight safety checks, or assisting passengers with boarding, or helping passengers when their plane is delayed at the gate after a long journey, that the flight attendant isn’t even being paid,” said Wesley Lesosky, a flight attendant with CUPE 4094 and president of CUPE’s Airline Division. “It’s a dirty secret in this industry and one that we’re determined to expose and end for good.”

“If we’re at work, in uniform, doing our jobs and taking responsibility for our passengers, we should be getting paid – simple as that,” Lesosky added.

The campaign will aim to raise awareness about the situation facing flight attendants – who are responsible for keeping the flying public safe and comfortable on the ground and at 30,000 feet – and will culminate in a National Day of Action to End Unpaid Work on April 25, with events in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal.

Visit UnpaidWorkWontFly.ca for more information about the campaign, events, and the work that flight attendants do every day.

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.

CUPE is Canada’s flight attendant union, representing approximately 18,500 flight attendants at ten airlines nationwide, including Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Sunwing, Calm Air, PAL Airlines, Flair Airlines, Canadian North, PasCan, and Pivot Airlines.

Link to the Original Article HERE.

Flight attendants work unpaid about one week a month, according to new survey

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A new survey of Canadian flight attendants from CUPE’s Airline Division shows that flight attendants in Canada are performing unpaid work for 34.86 hours per month, on average.Four female flight attendants walking down a sunlit hallway with suitcases

The survey, which ran between December 10, 2022 and January 11, 2023, and received 9,807 responses, shows in detail just how rampant the issue of unpaid work has become in the airline sector, and the profound impact it is having on airline workers.

“Unpaid work is a dirty secret in this industry, and one we are determined to stamp out,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division. “The bottom line is, if we’re on the jobsite, in our uniforms, performing work duties then we should be getting paid – full stop.”

Examples of work that largely goes unpaid, according to the survey, include boarding, ground preparation, pre-boarding preparation, galley preparation, and other pre-flight duties. Put together, a flight attendant in Canada puts in nearly a full week of full-time work that goes unpaid over the course of a typical block, which is usually one month.

Over half of the nearly 10,000 respondents also indicated that they are compensated below their full hourly rate of pay for mandatory training.

“As it stands, when a flight attendant gets trained on how to manage a safety issue or a mid-air medical issue, or when they assist a passenger in a wheelchair to their seat, they aren’t getting paid what they should be,” Lesosky continued. “I’m not sure how anyone justifies that.”

CUPE’s Airline Division represents approximately 18,500 flight attendants working at ten airlines across Canada.

Retrieved from CUPE National on February 9, 2023.

Click HERE to be taken to the original article.

CUPE’s airline workers will fight back against unpaid work

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From CUPE National on December 1, 2022:

CUPE’s Airline Division Component Presidents are meeting this week in Vancouver to discuss how to end the widespread industry use of unpaid labour. Flight attendants regularly perform hours of unpaid work every time they report for duty – a practice that must stop.

“If you’re a firefighter, a bank teller, an electrician, or almost any other profession in Canada, when you show up for work and perform work duties, you’re on the clock and you’re compensated for your time. For flight attendants in Canada, that simply isn’t the case,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Airline Division. “Flight attendants deserve to be paid for hours worked, and we’re going to step up this fight to make sure they are.”

Although there are variations at each airline, generally speaking, most flight attendants in Canada are at work, in uniform, performing work-related duties long before they start – and long after they stop – getting paid. It is estimated that between 20 and 50 per cent of a Canadian flight attendant’s time at work is unpaid. Unpaid work may include things like prepping aircraft, boarding and deplaning passengers, gate duties, and safety-related duties.

The division presidents have been meeting this week to put plans in place to present a strong and united front across CUPE’s ten different airline groups, and raise public awareness and mobilize members to end this unfair and exploitive practice.

“This is a totally unacceptable industry practice that only exists because nobody knows about it,” said Rena Kisfalvi, Secretary-Treasurer of the Division. “That is about to change.”

CUPE’s Airline Division represents approximately 18,500 flight attendants working at ten different airlines in Canada.

Link to Original Article: Click HERE

CUPE calls on Transport Canada to ensure ongoing protections for flight attendants

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From CUPE National on September 26, 2022:

As COVID-19-related safety measures are set to expire this week, CUPE – Canada’s flight attendant union – is calling on the federal government to ensure airlines continue providing flight attendants with workplace PPE so that workers remain protected once passenger mask mandates are lifted.

CUPE recently surveyed its 15,000 members in the airline sector on their views respecting ongoing COVID-19 safety measures, and the result was very strong. Many flight attendants believe they are currently well-protected and thousands want to see respiratory protections for flight attendants remain a company-provided option.

“We welcome the federal government’s announcement and are thankful our members will no longer have to fulfill the difficult role of ‘mask police’ on top of their many other duties onboard,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division. “That said, we will also work to ensure airlines respect cabin crew and maintain a supply of high-quality PPE for all our members to use as they see fit.”

“There are thousands of workers that expect their employers to protect them, and they expect the regulators to ensure companies are complying with the health and safety laws.”

Our experience has shown us that many airlines will seek to return to pre-pandemic practices. They will point to the practices at other airlines and say they need to race to return to normal for the sake of operations or corporate image. But the views of the frontline workers in the airline sector are now very clear: most workers want to keep the ability to wear protective equipment when they feel their health is at risk.

We hope that the lessons from this pandemic will not be so quickly forgotten. We expect regulators to continue to require employers to provide the personal protective equipment that workers need to be safe on the job.

Link to Original Article: Click HERE

Labour Day message: progress made, but our struggle continues

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From CUPE National on September 1, 2022:

Labour Day is an important opportunity for us to reflect on our hard-won victories and re-commit ourselves to fighting every day for a more just world. To mark Labour Day 2022, we want to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the 700,000 CUPE members nationwide doing vital and important work serving our communities. We also thank the many activists in our organization who make our union a powerful force for change and justice in our communities.

Every day in workplaces and communities across the country, we are standing up for workers’ rights and a better life for everyone. Despite the challenges of organizing in the context of the pandemic, we continue to bring in thousands of workers who now enjoy the benefits and protections of membership in Canada’s largest, strongest union.

At bargaining tables across Canada, we are fighting for stronger health and safety protections, major improvements in staffing levels in our care sectors, and the significant wage increases that CUPE members across this country need and deserve. We are fighting for less precarious work and more stable employment. We are standing firm against concessions and two-tier proposals. We are fighting for better benefits and more secure retirement for our members. And we are winning.

At the political level, we are encouraged to finally see real action on things that generations of CUPE activists have fought for. Over the past year, we have seen all 13 provinces and territories sign agreements with the federal government to establish a national affordable child care system.

Thanks to the relentless pressure of the labour movement and our allies, the federal NDP was able to secure a deal with the federal government to kickstart a national dental care program for lower-income families, and begin the groundwork for a national pharmacare program. The deal also requires federal anti-scab legislation to be passed by the end of 2023 to balance the scales and protect our right to free collective bargaining.

That’s welcome news for workers during a time when life is getting harder for so many. With inflation out of control and the cost of living skyrocketing, while wages rarely keep pace, we must redouble our efforts to organize and fight for real wage increases.   We must resist attacks by conservative governments and profiteers on the public services so many rely on. Our health care system in particular, already underfunded and understaffed before it was battered by COVID-19, is on the brink. But rather than fix the funding and staffing crisis in health care, so many provinces are now looking for ways to accelerate the slow creep towards an American-style privatized health care system.

Of course, we will not let them. But this just goes to show that despite the progress we’ve made this year, our struggle continues. We have fought so hard to protect workers through this pandemic and build a fairer, more equal country, and we are not about to start taking steps backward now.

On behalf of our 700,000 members across Canada, we wish you a safe and happy Labour Day.

In solidarity,

Mark Hancock
National President

Candace Rennick
National Secretary-Treasurer

Link to Original Article: Click HERE