What is it?
Taking on a worldwide industry to advocate for workers is too much for any individual union to do alone.
The GCAQE, a London-based organization, unites various labour unions and like-minded groups worldwide to advocate for improved onboard cabin air quality. It’s a great example of unions doing what they do best: pooling resources to represent, advocate, and defend their members’ health and safety rights.
The Airline Division of CUPE is one of the oldest GCAQE members and played a crucial role in its restructuring and relaunch in 2017. The GCAQE represents over 100,000 cabin and flight crew in North America, as well as unions in Europe and Australia with tens of thousands more members. Some of these include:
- The Association of Flight Attendants: (FA’s at 20 US carriers, including United, Alaska, Frontier, Spirit and most regional airlines)
- APFA (AA Fa’s)
- APA (AA Pilots)
How does it work?
Your union (Airline Division of CUPE) contributes annual dues to the GCAQE, which funds research, industry and regulatory engagement, and informational materials for unions and their members. This work would be impossible for any single union alone.
Why should you care?
The GCAQE’s work is often long-term, behind-the-scenes, and out-of-sight and out-of-mind for the broader membership. But through the GCAQE, our Union is a steadfast supporter and advocate of improvements to cabin air quality.
Check out the GCAQE website HERE to learn more about this important organization.
In solidarity,
Your Air Canada Component of CUPE Health and Safety Committee