Air Canada clarifies pay offer in last-ditch bid to avert cabin crew strike 

Air Canada has insisted a proportion of cabin crew will earn C$90,000 (£48,100) a year by 2027 as it made a last-ditch effort to avert strike action.

 

The airline suggested 20% would receive that level of salary and senior flight attendants annual pay would reach C$87,000 (£46,500).

 

But the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at the airline, claimed Air Canada had been “missing in action” from the bargaining table after it put forward its most recent proposal on Wednesday evening.

 

Air Canada, which started winding down operations ahead of a walkout by cabin crew tomorrow (Saturday), insisted that hourly rates would go as high as C$94 (£50) in the first year as part if its pay proposals.

 

The operational wind down impact due to the impending strike saw 34 flights cancelled yesterday affecting almost 8,000 passengers. A further 19 additional cancellations impacting 3,145 travellers were made due to “unplanned crew book-offs”, the airline said on X.

 

“We are seeing close to 300 flight attendants, twice as much as usual, not reporting for work tonight,” the airline added on Thursday. “This will result in additional cancellations. We regret the inconvenience to customers.”  

 

The airline also accused the union of rejecting an agreement to fly Canadians home, leaving 25,000 additional passengers stranded abroad.     

 

The carrier has insisted that there would be a 38% increase in “total compensation” to flight attendants over four years, with hourly pay rising by 12%-16% in the first year. 

 

“This consists of a combined eight per cent increase in the hourly wage plus another four-to-eight per cent increase through a new ground pay formula in the first year alone,” Air Canada said.

 

"There would be significant improvements to health benefits and pension plans, including the legacy Defined Benefit pension plan. Air Canada is the only airline in the country to offer its flight attendants access to a pension that includes a defined benefit component.”

 

The airline has also put forward “meaningful” quality of life improvements, including an increase to paid vacation and measures to address union concerns about rest and work-life balance. 

 

“This includes changes to crew complement on aircraft to reduce in-flight workloads,” Air Canada added.

 

"It will make Air Canada flight attendants the best compensated in Canada. Already, cabin crew earn up to C$17 more per hour than their counterparts at the company’s largest domestic competitor.”