More than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge are currently voting on whether to grant their union a strike mandate, as contract negotiations with the airline continue with no resolution in sight. The vote, led by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), runs until August 5.
The current collective agreement expired on March 31, and talks have been ongoing since the start of the year. While a strike vote does not mean a work stoppage is imminent, it does authorize the union to call a strike if necessary.
According to Air Canada, the company remains committed to the bargaining process. In a statement on July 25, the airline said it is working toward a fair and equitable agreement that recognizes the contributions of its flight attendants while supporting long-term competitiveness.
CUPE, however, says key issues remain unresolved, including concerns around:
- Pay and unpaid work
- Per diems
- Pension contributions
- Work rules
- Prone rest periods
The union claims flight attendants perform an average of 35 hours of unpaid labour per month, covering tasks like greeting passengers, assisting with luggage, and managing boarding and disembarkation.
CUPE has requested the Government of Canada appoint a conciliator, which triggers a 60-day conciliation period followed by a mandatory 21-day “cooling off period” before any strike action can legally occur. This means the earliest a strike or lockout could happen would be sometime after late August.
This isn’t the first labour-related tension for Air Canada in recent months. Last October, more than 5,400 pilots narrowly avoided a strike after negotiating a 42% cumulative wage increase over four years, which was agreed upon just before potential flight cancellations were set to begin.
Flight attendants are now asking union members a simple yes-or-no question: “Do you authorize the union to call a strike, if necessary?” Members can vote online or by phone.
The campaign is backed by the slogan: “Unpaid work won’t fly.”