Strike amnesty for AC FAs; CUPE pushes for wage edge over Air Transat; members voice concerns

This story was updated on Thursday, August 21 at 8:55 a.m. EST

Air Canada has agreed not to penalize the flight attendants who took part in Monday’s illegal strike, as part of a tentative four-year deal that includes an immediate base pay increase of at least eight per cent and compensation for ground duties, according to CUPE.

During a Zoom meeting with members Wednesday (Aug. 20), the leadership of CUPE’s Air Canada component described the agreement—reached following a tense weekend of strike action—as a compromise with both gains and setbacks.

While some achievements in the deal were described as “monumental” for flight attendants, union representatives acknowledged that other elements — particularly the wage increases — fell short of their expectations, reports the National Post.

“Did we do the best we could? Yes. It is the best (deal)? No, none of us believe it is,” CUPE Air Canada Component President Wesley Lesosky said during the two-hour call.

“Could we have done better? I don’t know, because interest arbitration could have ripped it apart,” he added, commenting on upcoming binding arbitration, which was mandated for the parties by Labour Minister Patty Hajdu on Saturday.

READ MORE: Air Canada outlines policy for reimbursing transportation expenses incurred during strike

Lesosky noted that nearly all aspects of the tentative agreement received the bargaining team’s support, with the sole exception being the proposed wage increases, the Post reports.

Those will be subject to a membership vote that opens August 27 and closes September 6, CUPE shared in a Facebook post late Wednesday. 

He added that the tentative deal outlines a 12 per cent pay raise this year for many Air Canada flight attendants and all those at Air Canada Rouge, followed by annual increases of three per cent, 2.5 per cent, and 2.75 per cent through 2028.

However, for more senior mainline employees currently beyond the ninth pay step in the collective agreement, the 2025 salary increase will be reduced to eight per cent, the Post reports.

Lesosky felt this wasn’t “deserving” to put forward, suggesting that’s why it is the only component of the tentative agreement that is being put to a vote.

Air Transat's leading wages

It appears Air Transat’s leading wages for flight attendants are a point of contention.

Lesosky pointed out how Air Canada’s flight attendants should be at least “a couple percent” above the Montreal-based competitor, the Post reports.

READ MORE: “We're focused on making this right”: Air Canada’s Nasr & Pierce on restoring service & trust post-strike

The union stated that if members reject the proposed wage increases, the matter will be resolved through binding arbitration, while the rest of the agreement will remain unchanged.

The most significant breakthrough was on the issue of unpaid “ground time,” which had been a key point of focus between the union and the airline.

Lesosky announced that, starting immediately, crew members will be paid 50 per cent of their hourly rate for 60 minutes of pre-flight duties on narrowbody aircraft and 70 minutes on widebody aircraft.

This compensation rate will gradually rise to 70 per cent by the end of the agreement in 2028, the Post reports.

Lesosky also assured flight attendants that they would not face any disciplinary action for taking part in the strike, despite it being ruled illegal by a federal labour tribunal on Sunday.

“Part of this agreement going forward is that there will be no retribution on any of you for anything you did during picketing or during the strike,” he said. “Anyone that feels that they may have held up a bad sign or stormed a press conference or done any of that kind of stuff, you’re protected.”

“Inflation is killing us”

So, what do the flight attendants think of the proposed deal?

Most of the feedback that has been posted to CUPE’s Facebook page hasn’t been overtly positive, with many FAs declaring they will vote “no” once voting begins.

“The wins are hard to see,” writes Camilo Gamez, responding to a post from the union about the upcoming vote.

Gamez is asking why the union announced an end to unpaid work when "many parts of our job continued to be unpaid.”

Ailish Callery also writes that flight attendant wages at Air Canada “have not been taken into consideration beyond eight per cent over the next four years.”

“The wages were what people were on the picket line for. Inflation is killing us at our current wage and the junior FAs deserve better. Let me make this easy for you…your vote is NO,” she writes.

Keep in mind, this is just a snapshot of the 10,400 flight attendants who are set to vote, but it offers a general sense of what’s being said.

It also appears members are requesting more clarity from their union, including how the ratification question will be presented during the vote.

Currently, as per CUPE’s Facebook page, the question is asking members if they agree with all proposed changes to the Collective Agreement, including wages as offered.

The confusion stems from the fact that members were initially informed they would only be voting on wages.

In a thread of comments, Lesosky assured members that “more is coming,” writing that the wording of the question is “based on how we need to vote on ALL ratifications.”

Air Canada rebuilds

Meanwhile, Air Canada has gradually resumed its operations after its aircraft were grounded for nearly four days.

Most of the airline's domestic and international routes were operating again Thursday (Aug. 21), after resuming flights on Tuesday when the strike ended.

According to an online dashboard tracking the airline's resumption, 98 per cent of domestic flights were expected to operate over the next 24 hours, along with 99 per cent of U.S. flights.

The airline’s international flights have also nearly caught up, with 94 per cent of planned flights expected to fly.

Air Canada initially said it would take between seven to ten days for its network to fully normalize.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.