NDP Leader Don Davies introduces bill to end unpaid work for flight attendants

On Tuesday, NDP leader Don Davies and NDP labour critic Alexandre Boulerice stood alongside Canadian Union of Public Employees 4091 President Natasha Stea and called on the government to end unpaid work for flight attendants. This followed Davies introducing legislation in the House earlier in the day to ban this practice.

Canadian flight attendants aren’t paid for most work they do when the plane isn’t in motion, like 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.

Meanwhile, the CEOs of Canada’s biggest airlines make millions of dollars each year, and airline revenues are in the tens of billions. Yet, successive Liberal and Conservative governments have continued to allow airlines to profit from the unpaid labour of their workers.

“It’s not fair to expect anyone to work without pay, yet this practice has existed for years for Canadian flight attendants,” said Davies. “This is unacceptable and must end."

Canadian flight attendants work an average of 35 hours a month unpaid, and 80 per cent of these workers are women.

“Life has gotten more expensive for Canadians, with so many people struggling to afford the basic necessities of keeping a roof over their head and putting food on the table,” added MP Boulerice. “Meanwhile the rich keep on getting richer, and the government lets them get away with forcing workers to work for free. This is wrong," Boulerice said.

Natasha Stea said her co-workers shouldn't have to negotiate to end unpaid work.

“As flight attendants, we are dedicated safety professionals who go the extra mile every day. But for too long, our dedication to our work and our passengers has been taken advantage of by some of the most profitable companies in the country. For years, flight attendants have been expected to work for free during boarding, delays, deplaning, emergencies on the ground, and more.

All work deserves to be paid, and with this bill, we are one step closer to a Canada where every worker is afforded respect and the right to be paid for every minute on the job," said Stea.