Layoffs follow move by NDP to ban unpaid work by flight attendants
Air Canada is reducing its management workforce by roughly 400 positions, or about 1% of its total staff.
The employer "arrived at the difficult decision" following an "extensive review," said Christophe Hennebelle, vice-president of corporate communications, according to a CBC report.
“Air Canada regularly reviews its resources and processes to ensure they are optimised to efficiently support business operations and its customers."
Hennebelle did not clarify whether the reductions would be achieved through attrition or by not filling vacant positions. However, he emphasised that the cuts would “not have any impact on day-to-day operations,” notes CBC.
The layoffs came on the same day Air Canada announced a major expansion at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with new transborder routes to four major U.S. cities and increased daily flights to Montréal and Ottawa.
Unpaid work by flight attendants
The layoffs follow a move by New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Don Davies to introduce legislation that will ban unpaid work for flight attendants.
“It’s not fair to expect anyone to work without pay, yet this practice has existed for years for Canadian flight attendants,” he said. “This is unacceptable and must end."
In August, an Air Canada flight attendants’ strike put a spotlight on the issue of unpaid labour before and after shifts.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) declared strike activity by the company’s 10,000 flight attendants unlawful and ordered the leadership of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to direct its members to return to work.
That same month, the federal government launched a probe into whether flight attendants are being compensated in accordance with the Canada Labour Code.
In September, the government started conducting stakeholder outreach, inviting both employers and employees in the airline sector to participate in virtual consultations in English and French. A discussion guide has been provided to support these discussions, according to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
The NDP notes that Canadian flight attendants aren’t paid for most work they do when the plane isn’t in motion, such as safety demonstrations during boarding, pre-flight safety checks and preparation, assisting passengers with mobility issues and special needs, and tending to medical or health and safety emergencies on the ground.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) welcomed this move.
“This is about fairness and respect,” said Natasha Stea, president of CUPE 4091 representing Air Canada flight attendants based in Montreal. “For years, flight attendants have been expected to work for free during boarding, delays, and deplaning, all while ensuring passenger safety. It’s time the law caught up with reality: all work deserves to be paid.”
Stea added: “Workers should not have to negotiate for the right to be paid while they’re at work. It should be the minimum standard and the law of the land.”
The recent request by Air Canada flight attendants to go straight to arbitration signals a shift in labour relations in Canada; according to Barry Eidlin, professor of sociology at McGill University, it’s a level of union mobilization not seen in “several decades.”
