"Unpaid work won't fly."
This is the message flight attendants will be sharing at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and other international airports across Canada next week.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents approximately 18,500 Canadian flight attendants at 10 airlines nationwide, have launched a national campaign to raise awareness, and put pressure on airlines and the government to end unpaid work in the airline sector.
A rally will be held under the YVR-Airport Skytrain station, outside the international arrivals of YVR, at 9 a.m. on April 25.
The average flight attendant in Canada works almost 35 hours every month for free, since they are not paid until the plane is in motion, according to CUPE's website.
While some details in collective agreements differ depending on airlines, all flight attendants are paid by the hour with a "minimum monthly guarantee" of flying hours, explained Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE's airline division and a flight attendant.
"This doesn't include the one hour flight attendants need to be at the airport before the flight for pre-check and the time they need to stay until the last passenger de-plane," said Lesosky.
He added that the Canadian public is unaware that flight attendants are not paid when they are doing pre-flight safety checks, helping passengers with boarding, or even when a plane is delayed at the gate.
“It’s a dirty secret in this industry and one that we’re determined to expose and end for good," said Lesosky.
"If we’re at work, in uniform, doing our jobs and taking responsibility for our passengers, we should be getting paid – simple as that."
Air Transat employees are currently at the bargaining table with their employer and pushing for ways to "ensure they're compensated for the time they are in uniform and at the airport," explained Lesosky.
Meanwhile, Air Canada, Air Canada Route, WestJet, Swoop and Encour are expected to head to the bargaining table at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025.
"The goal is to be paid when we're in uniform and required to be at work. It's the same as you if you have to show up from nine to five shift."
When asked whether the collective agreements have always included that flight attendants would only be paid when the plane is in motion, Lesosky said it has been something that was "contractually agreed on."
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, flight attendants have been given more "free work" of checking in early, assist with deplaning passengers, and guiding passengers to customs.
"Of course, the cost of living has gone up, a lot of entry-level people are coming in with expectations of being paid, so it's kind of hit that level where it's no longer sustainable," said Lesosky.
The union has also noticed more flight attendants resigning lately.
Lesosky, who has been a flight attendant for 23 years now, said he has also noticed more resignations in the past couple of years resulting in a high turnover rate in the industry.
"We hope to spread the word out to the public through this national campaign what we are having to deal with in our industry. It's meant to be an informational rally and with no intention to disrupt travellers or the airport."
