Canadian flight attendants demand ground pay, citing airport delays
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Loading... - Olivia Taylor
- 13 May 2022
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Canadian flight attendants are demanding pay for time on the ground as well as in-flight, as they have recently endured delays, sometimes for hours, at the country's busiest airport due to staff shortages, health checks and rising traffic.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said its members are increasingly working for free, as some arriving planes are held up at the gate at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, in some cases up to three hours.
U.S. flight attendants in contract talks with carriers like American Airlines (AAL.O) also are seeking to be paid during boarding.
Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) has said it will start paying flight attendants when boarding passengers starting June 2.
Demands by cabin crew could put additional cost pressures on airlines recovering from the pandemic-induced slump in traffic.
While Air Canada's flight attendants are not in contract talks, the Toronto delays are reducing rest times, said Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE's airline division.
Lesosky said flight attendants are now worried about the busy summer travel season if delays persist. “As we go into the summer, our concern is cabin temperature and just people becoming unruly." Read More...
