Would you work without pay? The question behind Air Canada strike

When Air Canada flight flights left work earlier a week ago, they had a rally: “Unpaid work will not fly.”

It was a reference to the long -standing practice in the North America aviation industry not to pay the cabin work crew they do when they are on earth before the plane was on the move.

In contrast, some European airlines, industry experts told BBC, Pay Cabin Crew monthly salaries, not during the hour.

The pay structure surprised the Canadian leaflets, Many of whom supported the striking workers, a survey ordered by the Union suggestedS

The short blow caused a defeat during the peak season of summer trips, but the flights resumed after both sides agreed to a preliminary deal on Tuesday.

The proposed agreement reached by the Canadian Union for Public Office (CUPE) and Air Canada are not fully released, but those who are familiar with its contents report that it includes a charge for several years and the most partial pay for the board duties and the protective inspections of the cabin before take -off – first.

Experts say that the wins made by the Air Canada cabin crew can help to harden a new standard for the continent’s aviation workers.

The Union called it “historically” earlier this week by announcing an unpaid work “above”.

But the media reported that many flight attendants who still have to vote to approve the transaction remain dissatisfied. It is unclear whether the deal has sufficient support to pass, Reuters reported.

Air Canada employees were not alone that they were not paid for what the industry calls “ground work”.

Cabin Crew for other Canadian Airlines Air Transat and Westjet do not have a pay on Earth as part of their compensation structure. Neither the flights to the United States -based United Airlines, although negotiations on contract are currently ongoing.

John Strach, a business professor and aviation management expert at McGill University in Montreal, said the introduction of a terrestrial pay for Air Canada workers could cause “tsunami”, which will soon sweep all major airlines in North America.

For decades, the practice has been justified on the basis that it is easier to track hours when the plane leaves the gate and land, he said. It is more difficult to turn on the upload time, which may vary depending on the delays and the number of passengers.

To mitigate this, airlines have hit the hourly wage of the cabin crew, although many claim that total salaries are still low, especially for those in large, often expensive, North American cities.

Air Canada said half of its “basic flight attendants” earned more than $ 54,000 ($ 39,000; $ 29,000 British pounds) last year, with some more than $ 70,000.

The numbers were a little different for the Air Canada Rouge, the carrier’s discount wing.

A long -standing Air Canada flight attendant, Leslie Wolver, told the Halifax Examiner local newsletter that she dedicated she had done about 40 hours of unpaid work a month.

This figure is similar to the reported nearly 10,000 flight attendants in a A study done by CUPE at the end of December 2022. At that time, Wesley Lesoski, president of the Union Airline Department, called unpaid work “dirty secret in this industry.”

Junior flight employees are most affected, G -Gia Wolaver told Examiner Halifax as they tend to work more short flights.

The attitude towards the pay of the land began to shift after the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought new rules for the masking of aircraft and significantly changed how the cabin crew was preparing a plane to take off.

Stephen Tufts, a professor and labor expert at the University of Toronto, said this “increased complexity of passengers on board puts a lot of pressure on the flight attendants” and forced them to work even more hours.

“In the end, they said,” No. That has to change, “he said.

Delta Airlines led the fee in 2022 when it became the first in North America to offer Cabin Crew Pay for a job they were doing on the spot. American Airlines and Alaska Airlines quickly followed.

After reaching the indicative agreement with Air Canada, The Chief Operations Officer of Airlines Mark Naar told CBC that the Carrier Cabin crew will already receive a “leading compensation” industry.

“The ground pay is settled. Our flight attendants will be paid for the time on the ground.”

But the future of the deal remains unclear.

Friday, Reuters talks with several airlines who were dissatisfied with the proposed transaction, in particular referring to Earth pay and how it affects the salaries for workers in the initial level.

Lesoski said at the exit that the more strikes would be illegal and that wage disputes would probably be resolved in arbitration, while the other parts of the agreement continue.

Regardless of the result, some form of ground pay will probably remain.

With Air Canada – the largest airline in Canada – now it is jumping aboard, industry observers say it is a new precedent for the world airline.

Both Air Transat and Westjet have a contract contract. Prof. Strah said he believed that paying the land would be an easy profit for them, as they would want to keep their salaries competitive.

Wider, the profits secured as a result of Air Canada’s impact were also welcomed as a turning point for labor rights in Canada due to the Union’s refusal to comply with a return order.

The Federal Government has relied on Section 107 of the Code of Labor in Canada, which has been used in recent years to terminate the actions of work action and forcibly bind arbitration.

This time, public sympathy was largely on the side of the striking workers because of the focus on unpaid work, said Prof.

“It was a master class of negotiations from the Union,” he said.