NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May have both signed a pledge from CUPE’s Airline Division to introduce legislation to ban unpaid work for flight attendants in the next Parliament. At the outset of the federal election campaign, Airline Division President Wesley Lesosky wrote to the leaders of the five major parties in the House of Commons, calling on them to pledge their commitment to reintroduce Bill C-415 after the election. Bill C-415, introduced in October 2024 by NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo, would have required airlines to pay flight attendants for all their work at their full rate of pay. Currently, flight attendants in Canada work 35 hours per month without pay on average.
“As advance polls open this weekend, and with election day on April 28, it’s important for flight attendants across Canada to know who has our backs when we cast our ballots,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division. “We need strong advocates for airline workers inside the House of Commons, and now we know who will work with us to end this unfair industry practice.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet did not respond to Lesosky’s letter, while Liberal leader Mark Carney’s office acknowledged receipt of Lesosky’s letter but did not sign the pledge.
Two years ago this week, CUPE’s Airline Division launched the Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign, aimed at ending the unfair practice of only paying flight attendants while aircraft are in motion.
“Flight attendants shouldn’t have to take on multi-billion-dollar airlines all by ourselves, we should be getting support from our leaders in Ottawa too,” said Lesosky. “In Canada, if you’re at work, performing essential duties, then you should be getting paid – this isn’t controversial. It’s completely unfair that workers earning as little as $27,000 a year should have to negotiate this basic principle of fairness into their contract, because Ottawa refuses to do the right thing.”
Negotiations between CUPE’s 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge and the airline are currently ongoing. Negotiations between CUPE’s 5,000 flight attendants at WestJet, Encore, Sunwing and Swoop and the airline will commence later this year.