We are following up on yesterday’s bulletin regarding Component President Wesley Lesosky’s testimony before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Today, we want to address the state of Labour Relations between Air Canada and the Air Canada Component of CUPE.
It is no secret that the Federal Government’s intervention under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code has harmed both the Charter rights of our members and the relationship between CUPE and Air Canada. We understand that collective bargaining, especially a round as difficult as this one can leave behind strong feelings. Our responsibility, however, is to represent our 10,406 Flight Attendants and to keep moving issues forward. That work cannot stop.
Unfortunately, it has become increasingly apparent that management seems disengaged from union and employee matters, and uninterested in constructive problem-solving, and in a way that suggests the approach may have been influenced by a position or attitude taken by upper management in relation to Cabin Personnel.
If this is indeed the case, it is a serious misstep. This approach serves neither the membership nor the company. It has created a “nuclear winter” of sorts in Labour Relations, where everyday issues that used to be resolved quickly and collaboratively have slowed to a glacial pace. Since 2019, both parties made considerable progress improving Labour Relations, and those improvements led directly to better outcomes for members and more efficient resolutions. That progress is now at risk.
We are calling on Air Canada’s management to reconsider this strategy. This is not personal, it is business. If the employer genuinely wishes to uphold the Canadian values it publicly champions, and if it truly wants meaningful engagement with its employees, this current posture falls far short of that standard.
Yes, bargaining was difficult. Yes, there were hard feelings on all sides. But our members rise above challenging circumstances every single day. They face difficult passengers, complex situations, and intense operational pressures, yet they remain consummate professionals because they know the importance of their role. Air Canada should expect no less of itself.
Our Flight Attendants are the best in North America. They deserve timely resolutions to their concerns, not obstruction and delay.
We are asking Air Canada to move past their differences, abandon this counterproductive approach, and return to working collaboratively with the union. It is time to get back to the business of supporting the employees who are the face and the beating heart of this company.
In solidarity,
Your ACCEX