After months of negotiations, Air Canada flight attendants, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), voted 99.7% in favour of a strike, a strong mandate to secure fair pay and put an end to unpaid labour.
Currently, flight attendants are only paid from the time they pull away from the gate to when they arrive at the next one. That means they are required to perform critical duties, including boarding, safety checks and other essential tasks for free. And while Air Canada profits continue to increase, many of its full-time employees earn less than minimum wage.
A company that achieved record revenues last year should be able to pay their workers fairly.
We also join the Canadian Labour Congress in calling on the federal government to respect the collective bargaining process. The right to strike is a fundamental for workers in this country to secure fair conditions. Recent cases of the government interfering in this process, most recently with Canadian postal workers, has set a dangerous precedent. The best deals are secured at the bargaining table.
CAPE stands proudly in solidarity with Air Canada flight attendants in their fight to win fair conditions, fair pay, and put an end to free labour.
