Air Canada Flight Attendants Highlight Unpaid Work In Contract Demands

Air Canada’s pilots won a milestone deal last year, achieving pay increases of more than 40% in a four-year deal that came on the brink of a strike deadline. But as a new year begins, the airline’s labour struggles aren’t over. Negotiations have already begun with more than 10,000 flight attendants.

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Air Canada’s flight attendants have been working under the same collective agreement for a decade. The current agreement is set to expire on March 31. And while wages represent one issue, the major point of contention is unpaid work.

Flight attendants are currently compensated only for time spent in the air, but the union notes that members also spend time before and after flights boarding pax, assisting those with disabilities, conducting safety checks and ensuring carry-on baggage is stowed. 

“No other worker would be expected to show up for work and not get paid for it,” Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Air Canada Component, told the Financial Post. Another CUPE representative told the publication: “It’s not uncommon for a flight attendant to work a 14-hour day but receive pay for just six to eight hours.” 

Overall, 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. 

Industry observers say there was a time when in-flight compensation was high enough to mitigate the unpaid hours. CUPE says wages have stagnated over the past 10 years, while the cost of living has increased significantly, putting unpaid hours in sharp relief. The starting hourly wage for flight attendants is approximately $30, but once unpaid hours are factored in, that number drops significantly, the union says.

CUPE is also backing Bill C-415, a proposed federal law that aims to ensure flight attendants are paid for all mandated duties, including those carried out before and after flights. The bill was introduced by NDP member of Parliament Bonita Zarrillo in October 2024, and Lesosky views it as a significant step toward addressing the issue of unpaid work. With the current political situation and a federal election drawing closer, timely passage of the bill is unlikely.

South of the border, airlines including Delta have introduced compensation for pre-flight duties, such as boarding, yet Canadian airlines have not followed suit. If Air Canada’s flight attendants are able to reach a resolution on the issue, it may set a precedent for other Canadian carriers.