Air Canada flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), have launched a comprehensive public and strategic push as contract talks with the airline resume. The union, which counts more than 10,000 members working under a collective agreement that expires March 31, has placed unpaid work, stagnant wages, and scheduling as its core bargaining priorities. As negotiations proceed, CUPE signals that it is prepared to press for a deal that addresses long-standing compensation gaps while seeking to curb practices that leave workers underpaid for essential duties before and after flights. The broader backdrop includes industry-wide concerns about pay practices, regulatory standards, and potential legislative changes aimed at harmonizing flight attendants’ compensation across Canada. This evolving negotiation landscape is shaping expectations not just for Air Canada employees but for the wider airline workforce in the country, with implications for wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Unpaid work as a central issue in negotiations
The heart of the current bargaining round centers on unpaid work, a point that CUPE leadership, including Wesley Lesosky, has emphasized as a fundamental fairness question. Flight attendants are paid for the time they spend in the air—often referred to as in-flight credit hours—but they perform numerous critical tasks before and after boarding. These duties include assisting passengers with disabilities, guiding boarding, conducting safety checks, and managing luggage and cabin readiness. CUPE estimates that flight attendants spend roughly 35 hours per month on these mandated duties without compensation, a figure that underscores a gap between responsibilities and pay. These tasks are not discretionary; they are required under Transport Canada regulations and safety standards, making the compensation discrepancy particularly salient for workers who rely on a predictable and fair wage structure.
The discrepancy appears to stem from an industry practice that originated in an era when in-flight compensation was higher and could arguably cover the surrounding duties. Today, however, the same arrangement yields a situation in which a substantial portion of a flight attendant’s workload is performed without pay. “No other worker would be expected to show up for work and not get paid for it,” Lesosky has observed, framing unpaid duties as a broader labor fairness issue. The union has launched a multi-pronged public awareness campaign to draw attention to unpaid work and mobilize public support for reform. This campaign has included television advertising and a public-facing, interactive installation in Toronto designed to dramatize unpaid duties and corporate policies. The objective is to elevate public understanding and pressure both the airline and policymakers to address the compensation gap.
To ensure widespread visibility of the issue, CUPE has pursued attention beyond traditional media. The campaign highlights the contrast between the official compensation framework and the real, on-the-ground duties that flight attendants perform in service of passenger safety and comfort. By leveraging visual storytelling and real-world scenarios, CUPE seeks to make the case that unpaid work is not a minor quibble but a core fairness and labor standards issue. The emphasis on unpaid duties aligns with broader concerns raised by labor advocates about the hidden costs of professional labor and the way compensation structures can lag behind evolving job responsibilities. The result is a negotiation posture that centers on recognition of time spent on mandated duties as billable work, and a commitment to ensuring flight attendants are paid for all hours spent performing their essential functions.
In parallel with the negotiations, CUPE underscores the broader safety and operational implications of unpaid work. When duties occur before and after flights without direct compensation, there is a risk of understaffing, fatigue-related pressures, and uneven workload distribution. These factors can affect service quality, passenger experience, and the long-term sustainability of career paths in the aviation sector. The union’s strategy is to tie the financial recognition of unpaid work to improved scheduling rules, better staffing models, and a transparent framework for time accounting that ensures all mandated duties are compensated. The emphasis on occupational fairness also resonates with public policy discussions about minimum standards for compensation within the airline industry, where different carriers may have varying practices.
Within the negotiation narrative, the confrontation over unpaid work interacts with other core issues, including wage levels and benefits. Because unpaid duties contribute significantly to a flight attendant’s total workload, the absence of compensation for these hours can distort the true value of the role and undermine the financial viability of a long-term career in the cabin. The union’s argument is that fair pay for all hours worked is not only a matter of equity but also a practical requirement for attracting and retaining skilled professionals who ensure safe and efficient operations. The ongoing dialogue seeks to translate this principle into an enforceable framework within the collective agreement, with clear definitions of when duties begin and end, how time is calculated, and how compensation is applied across all shifts and work patterns.
Wages, benefits, and scheduling: addressing purchasing power and living standards
Beyond unpaid work, CUPE highlights a broader concern about wage stagnation and eroding purchasing power over the past decade. In Air Canada’s current economic landscape, starting salaries are reported to be around $27,000 per year, a figure Lesosky characterizes as insufficient for workers pursuing a professional career in aviation. While the industry often links compensation to the demanding nature of cabin duties and the need for extreme flexibility, the union argues that wage growth has not kept pace with inflation and rising living costs. The disparity becomes more acute for junior flight attendants, who are more likely to be affected by the combination of fixed base pay and a significant amount of unpaid, yet mandated, work.
The starting hourly wage is approximately $30 per hour, but because compensation is limited to in-flight time, many workers find that total earnings fall short when unpaid duties are factored in. Anecdotes from CUPE representatives suggest that a flight attendant could work a 14-hour day but receive pay for only six to eight hours, when the hours spent on pre- and post-flight duties are included in the calculation. This phenomenon is not merely a matter of low wages; it also affects eligibility for minimum wage protections and the overall fairness of compensation in an industry known for long and irregular hours.
The financial strain on flight attendants has broader implications for workforce stability and morale. Inflation has eroded what workers can reasonably expect as a livable wage, even as Air Canada continues to report profits. The union contends that compensation should reflect not only the time spent in the air but the totality of duties that contribute to safe and efficient flight operations. In response, CUPE has called for comprehensive improvements across wages, benefits, and scheduling rules. While the union has not publicly disclosed every specific proposal, the emphasis is clear: an enhanced wage structure, improved benefits packages, and scheduling practices that balance workload with reasonable rest and predictable schedules. These elements are viewed as essential to maintaining a skilled, motivated, and safe aviation workforce in Canada.
The wage and benefits conversation also intersects with questions about career progression, training, and long-term economic security for flight attendants. For many workers, the costs associated with professional development, ongoing training, and retirement planning are weighed against the potential gains from incremental wage increases. The union’s strategy is to negotiate a package that not only elevates starting pay, but also rewards tenure, skills, and reliability through enhanced benefits, pension considerations, and clearer, fairer scheduling rules. The conversation also touches on the broader question of whether compensation should be adjusted to reflect regional cost-of-living differences and the varying demands of different flying patterns, such as long-haul versus domestic routes, where duty hours can diverge significantly.
In articulating its position, CUPE emphasizes that industry-wide shifts must accompany carrier-specific negotiations. While Air Canada operates within a competitive labor market, the union argues that comparable compensation structures are already observed in other sectors and in some U.S. airlines that have begun compensating for pre-flight duties, providing a benchmark for Canada’s industry. The discussions thus include not only Air Canada’s internal economics but also benchmarking against peers to ensure that Air Canada’s wage and benefits package is competitive enough to attract and retain a capable cabin crew. The union’s goal is to translate these insights into a negotiated framework that aligns compensation with the full spectrum of duties flight attendants perform.
The scheduling element is equally central to the discourse. Workforce management must balance staff availability, flight demand, and rest requirements, all within regulatory and safety guidelines. CUPE advocates for scheduling rules that improve predictability, limit overlong stretches of work without adequate rest, and ensure that duty rosters reflect the true time commitment required by all duties associated with a flight. The aim is to reduce burnout, improve job satisfaction, and support long-term career longevity for flight attendants. In sum, the negotiation agenda regarding wages, benefits, and scheduling seeks to deliver a holistic improvement in living standards, ensuring that compensation is fair, predictable, and aligned with the actual responsibilities and risks associated with air travel.
Industry trends, federal legislation, and the path to standardization
The issue of unpaid work and compensation is not confined to Air Canada; it reflects broader industry dynamics and regulatory considerations within Canada. There is growing attention to how compensation for pre- and post-flight duties is treated across major airlines, and CUPE is keen to see Canadian carriers adopt more consistent and fair pay practices. In the United States, for example, carriers such as Delta have introduced compensation for pre-flight duties, indicating that a market standard is possible and has gained traction in a neighboring market. The contrast with Canada’s current practice has become a talking point in CUPE’s public-facing campaigns and within legislative discussions.
A significant element of the broader strategy is backing federal legislation designed to standardize pay practices for flight attendants across Canada. The proposed Bill C-415, introduced in October 2024 by New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament Bonita Zarrillo, seeks to ensure that flight attendants are paid for all mandated duties, including those performed before and after flights. Lesosky has been working with the NDP on the bill, viewing it as a critical step toward addressing nationwide unpaid-work concerns across the airline industry. The bill represents an opportunity to codify a fair standard that could reduce ambiguities in compensation and create a federal baseline for pay practices in the sector. From a policy perspective, proponents argue that formalizing pay for all mandated duties would promote fairness, support workforce stability, and enhance safety by ensuring that attendants are properly incentivized and adequately rested.
The intersection of labor negotiations and public policy adds a layer of complexity to Air Canada’s bargaining process. Support for Bill C-415 signals a willingness on the part of CUPE to pursue legislative avenues if sectoral bargaining fails to deliver the desired outcomes. It also reflects a recognition that airline workers’ compensation is a matter of national concern, given the essential nature of air travel, the high standards required to ensure passenger safety, and the potential economic impact of disruptions in service. By engaging with policymakers and aligning with parliamentary efforts, CUPE aims to broaden the scope of influence beyond the negotiation table and position the issue within a framework of national labor standards and implications for the aviation economy.
From the industry perspective, the push toward standardization faces a range of challenges. Airlines operate under different business models, cost structures, and regional regulatory environments, which can complicate efforts to implement universal rules. Nevertheless, proponents argue that a clear federal standard would create a level playing field, reducing the incentive for carriers to compete on the basis of undercompensation for ground duties. It would also align Canada more closely with international norms and practices where flight attendants receive compensation for pre- and post-flight activities that are integral to safe operations. The discussion thus encompasses not only wage levels but also broader questions about working conditions, workforce planning, and the regulatory framework that governs the aviation industry.
In the ongoing negotiations, Air Canada and CUPE are navigating how to reconcile carrier-specific economics with the aspirational policy directions expressed by Bill C-415 and related labor market trends. The conversation includes considerations of profitability, shareholder expectations, and long-term growth strategies for the airline, balanced against the need to provide fair wages and sustainable working conditions for frontline employees. The potential passage of federal legislation could influence the bargaining dynamics by establishing a statutory baseline, thereby shaping the structure of wage increases, benefits enhancements, and scheduling reforms that both sides may seek to negotiate within the confines of the new legal framework. The interplay between collective bargaining and public policy highlights the multi-faceted nature of labor relations in Canada’s aviation sector and underscores why these negotiations have attracted attention from workers, industry observers, and policymakers alike.
Looking ahead: negotiations, potential labour action, and industry precedent
Negotiations between Air Canada and CUPE began in December, with the union signaling a preference for a cooperative process that avoids disruption to passengers while ensuring a fair outcome for workers. Lesosky has framed the objective as achieving an agreement that satisfies members and prevents any interruption to travel, but he has also insisted that “enough is enough” and that workers deserve fair compensation for the critical work they perform. The balance between seeking a constructive settlement and signaling readiness to take more assertive steps if negotiations stall is a central feature of the current bargaining posture. The union is mindful of the potential consequences of a strike or other labour actions, both for passengers and for the airline’s operations, and it is therefore focusing on the most effective leverage available—public support, media visibility, and a clear mandate for better pay and working conditions.
The implications of these negotiations extend beyond Air Canada. If CUPE succeeds in securing a more robust compensation framework for unpaid duties, the outcome could set a precedent for other airlines in Canada and potentially influence industry standards nationwide. A movement toward standardized pay for pre- and post-flight tasks would not only impact pay checks but also scheduling practices, rest requirements, and overall labor relations strategies across carriers. As a result, Air Canada and CUPE are balancing the desire for a favorable, market-competitive agreement with the broader potential to reshape compensation norms within the Canadian aviation sector.
The negotiation strategy also involves contemplating the appropriate timing and sequencing of wage increases, benefits enhancements, and scheduling reforms. The union aims to secure improvements in a way that is financially sustainable for the airline, ensuring that any gains are anchored in productivity, safety, and operational reliability. At the same time, CUPE seeks to preserve the long-term viability of flight attendant careers by addressing issues of career progression, training opportunities, and retirement security as part of a comprehensive deal. The discussion thus encompasses not only immediate compensation but also long-term professional development, job security, and the ability to attract and retain talent in a competitive market.
Looking forward, industry watchers anticipate whether a negotiated settlement can be reached without resorting to a strike. The outcome will likely hinge on a combination of factors, including the airline’s profitability outlook, cost-control measures, productivity metrics, and the degree to which compensation changes are offset by benefits or scheduling enhancements. If an agreement is reached, it could avert disruption for passengers while setting a constructive example for other carriers facing similar issues. If negotiations stall, the potential for labour action could gain momentum, drawing attention to the broader policy questions raised by Bill C-415 and related industry reforms. In either scenario, the ongoing discourse signals a pivotal moment for Canada’s airline workforce and labor standards, with potential reverberations across the economy and transport sector.
Conclusion
Air Canada flight attendants’ push for fair pay and better working conditions, led by CUPE, reflects a broader concern about compensation in the aviation sector and a demand for recognition of all duties performed by frontline workers. The central issue of unpaid work, coupled with stagnant wages and scheduling challenges, drives a powerful narrative about the value of cabin crew—an essential component of passenger safety and service. The union’s public-awareness campaign and legislative advocacy, including support for Bill C-415, illustrate a two-pronged approach to achieving change: negotiate an improved agreement at the bargaining table while pursuing statutory standards to ensure consistent pay practices across Canada’s airline industry. As negotiations unfold, the outcome will not only shape Air Canada’s labor landscape but could also influence pay practices nationwide, potentially altering the dynamics of employment in Canada’s air travel ecosystem for years to come.