Air Canada flight attendants vote to strike if agreement not reached, union says

More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants are poised for a possible strike later this month after members voted in favour of strike action, according to the union representing the flight attendants. 

The Air Canada Component of CUPE said in a news release Tuesday that after months of negotiation on a new contract, no agreement has been reached on key issues such as wages, work rules and unpaid hours. 

Members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of strike action if necessary, according to the union, which represents flight attendants at Air Canada and its leisure service, Air Canada Rouge.

"The company would rather drag their feet than negotiate on the things that matter to our members," said division president Wesley Lesosky in a news release. "Now, flight attendants have had a chance to weigh in and tell the company it's time to get serious about negotiating."

A strike vote indicates that members are prepared to go on strike, but doesn't necessarily mean a strike will occur. The union stated that it could issue a 72-hour strike notice as early as Aug. 16 if an agreement isn't reached. 

Air Canada acknowledged the result of the strike vote in a statement, and said that this is a "normal step in the negotiation process."

"Air Canada remains committed to the bargaining process and is eager to resume discussions, which CUPE had suspended during the vote," the statement read. The company said it "firmly believes that there is more than enough time to reach such an agreement and avoid disrupting the plans of hundreds of thousands of travellers."

The union has been negotiating with Air Canada over a new contract for flight attendants after the previous 10-year contract expired in March.

The strike vote comes after the union filed for conciliation with the federal labour minister in May due to an impasse in negotiations.

Wages, unpaid work are concerns

CUPE did not outline specifics about what the union is looking to receive in the new contract, but said that wages have not kept up with inflation.

Lesosky told CBC News that 10 years ago, entry-level flight attendants started at $25.13 per hour and they now they make $30.02 per hour to start.

Flight attendants can rack up hours of unpaid work, as well, according to CUPE, which said they often don't receive compensation for the work they perform during safety checks, boarding and deplaning, and when they prepare the plane for passengers and assist passengers prior to or after flights.

"While the airline continues to slap junk fees on flyers and gouge the public, they're also exploiting their own employees by severely underpaying flight attendants or refusing to pay them at all for safety-critical aspects of our jobs," Lesosky said. 

"Air Canada has raked billions in profits in the past few years. They can afford to pay us fairly without raising costs for the public."

The airline reported operating revenues of more than $22 billion in 2024, a two per cent increase compared to the previous year, and a net income of $1.7 billion. 

A spokesperson for Air Canada declined to comment on specifics surrounding compensation negotiations in May when the union filed for conciliation. At the time, the airline said that the model it currently has in place is consistent with most global carriers.