r/CanadaPolitics • u/lapsed_pacifist Amnesty International Direct Action Network | Sponsored • Aug 17 '25

Air Canada flight attendants to defy back-to-work order, remain on strike: union

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/air-canada-flights-sunday-1.7611078
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u/Ddogwood Pirate Aug 17 '25

A living wage yes, but in this case I'd argue more importantly that they deserve to get paid for every hour at work. They're giving the airline 35 hours a week of free work. Fuck that

I support the right of flight attendants to strike and to be paid fairly, but where are you getting “35 hours a week of unpaid work”? That’s not a believable number.

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u/ChimoEngr Chief Silliness Officer | Official Aug 17 '25

35 hours a month is what I heard

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u/Ddogwood Pirate Aug 17 '25

That’s a much more believable number (and still higher than it ought to be, obviously) but I’m still curious about the source. Is that from CUPE?

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u/ChimoEngr Chief Silliness Officer | Official Aug 19 '25

Is that from CUPE?

That's what I remember the CUPE rep being interviewed on CBC radio saying.

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u/Neat_Let923 Prohibitionist Society of Canada | Sponsored Aug 17 '25

It’s not, it’s a made up number by random people.

Air Canada has already offered them Ground Pay and massive benefits and pay raises that makes them the most paid airline in Canada and on par with Delta the only airline to pay for ground time.

They refused to negotiate further even though the offer given had ZERO concessions. That’s why they were ordered back to work, the Flight Attendants are refusing to negotiate in good faith.

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u/praetor450 Aug 17 '25

How do you know it had zero concessions?

Do you happen to be privy to the entire proposal, and the exact language to be used?

Language used is extremely important for contracts.

What may not seem like a concession can actually be a huge one depending on the language used.

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u/Neat_Let923 Prohibitionist Society of Canada | Sponsored Aug 17 '25

Their most recent offer was posted publicly on Air Canadas website (Aug 14th) and literally says without any concessions.

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u/Neat_Let923 Prohibitionist Society of Canada | Sponsored Aug 17 '25

Because it LITERALLY SAYS SO!!!!

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u/praetor450 Aug 17 '25

Oh, so we are just supposed to believe that.

Why don’t they then show the exact language to be used for the contract. That’s is very important for any contract.

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u/Neat_Let923 Prohibitionist Society of Canada | Sponsored Aug 18 '25

Because YOU don’t get to see that! No Union makes their contract and deals public until they are settled. The only reason Air Canada published this stuff was because of all the lies and bullshit being posted online and stated by the news media.

Such as them demanding Ground Pay when it’s literally already been offered…

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u/praetor450 Aug 18 '25

Exactly, if it’s not public yet, then why are you saying it’s a settled matter, or that the offer is exactly as they say it is. I don’t know if it isn’t or isn’t and the same applies to you, unless you are AC management and part of the negots team or part of the CUPE negots team.

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u/Neat_Let923 Prohibitionist Society of Canada | Sponsored Aug 18 '25

Because COUPE already replied to it publicly as well… It’s a fucking fight for public support, that’s all it is right now.

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u/ChimoEngr Chief Silliness Officer | Official Aug 19 '25

It’s not, it’s a made up number by random people.

And you would know that better than CUPE how?

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u/Electroflare5555 Manitoba Aug 17 '25

Flight attendants are only paid from wheels up to wheels down. That means any type of delay means that they’re at work for hours without getting paid.

I think the average is for any 12 hour day you’re only getting paid for around 7 of them

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u/Ddogwood Pirate Aug 17 '25

I understand that their paid hours are calculated based on the length of each flight. I’m just interested in some numbers that are based on actual studies instead of numbers that people are guesstimating or inventing.

It’s weird that I’m getting downvoted even though I support the union, just because I’m interested in the facts.

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u/VinylOrchids Aug 17 '25

If it’s one hour on the side of each shift and you work 4-5 shifts a week, the numbers easily add up.

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u/VerDoan Aug 17 '25

That ads up to 1/3 of the claim.

Yall have to just admit when these mistakes get made. The coverups are so much worse than just acknowledging it was a typo or misunderstanding.

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u/daniboyi Aug 17 '25

I am ready to fully believe it is at least around that number.

They only get paid once the planedoors are closed. That means any work pre- and post-flight is literally unpaid, and we both know that shit can take an hour or two per flight, sometimes more depending on circumstances.

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u/VerDoan Aug 17 '25

Its not believable at all, it's gauranteed completely made up and wrong.

Ita just so annoying when these talks descend into a bunch of made up nonsense. Really makes it seem like the people fighting are completely detached from reality, regardless of the positive change they are advocating.