Flight personnel engage in discussions regarding terms and conditions

WestJet flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 8125, have served a notice to negotiate a new collective agreement, citing unpaid work as a major concern. The current agreement between CUPE Local 8125 and WestJet expires on December 31.

On Tuesday, dozens of Air Canada flight attendants gathered on Parliament Hill, alongside NDP MP and labour critic Alexandre Boulerice, in a show of solidarity. The Air Canada flight attendants, also represented by CUPE, recently rejected their employer's final salary offer in a vote on a new collective agreement. This rejection followed a strike in August over similar concerns.

Unpaid work has been a contentious issue in the airline industry, with flight attendants at United Airlines and other carriers seeking to renegotiate their contracts to include ground time compensation. It appears that other North American airlines do not compensate flight attendants for time spent on the ground before and after flights, according to their collective agreements.

In August, Labour Minister Patty Hajdu announced a review into allegations of unpaid work in the Canadian airline industry. The investigation is expected to be completed by early December. Minister Hajdu stated that unpaid work is unacceptable, and it's time to put an end to it.

WestJet, in response, has expressed a willingness to discuss at the negotiating table to reach an agreement, according to a WestJet spokesperson. Alia Hussain, president of CUPE Local 8125, emphasized that WestJet flight attendants deserve to be paid for all their worked hours, regardless of whether they are performing security checks before boarding or post-flight tasks.

The WestJet flight attendants' union sent a negotiation notice on the same day as the Air Canada flight attendants' demonstration on Parliament Hill to coordinate efforts and increase pressure for a new collective agreement. As the deadline for the current WestJet agreement approaches, both parties are under pressure to reach a fair and equitable resolution.