Question Period Note: CONSULTATIONS ON FLIGHT ATTENDANTS’ PAY STRUCTURE

Why is the Government holding consultations on flight attendants’ pay structure?

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting workers. This includes ensuring that flight attendants, who play a critical role in keeping Canadian passengers safe, are paid fairly.

The Labour Program is consulting employer and employee representatives in the airline sector to better understand whether flight attendants are paid in a manner that is compliant with Part III of the Canada Labour Code.

A What We Heard Report summarizing the results of the consultations is intended to be published in fall 2026.

Canada Labour Code

Part III of the Canada Labour Code (Code) sets out standards regarding employment conditions including hours of work, payment of wages, leaves, annual vacations, holidays and rights on termination of employment. There are roughly 1,020,000 employees subject to Part III of the Code who are employed by approximately 18,500 federally regulated private-sector employers and Crown corporations.

Part III does not include a definition of what constitutes “work,” however the Labour Program has developed Interpretations, Policies and Guidelines (IPGs) that clarify the meaning of “work” to ensure consistent interpretation of the Code. The definition of work in the IPGs on hours of work includes training, time spent at the employer’s disposal at the worksite waiting to be assigned work, and time spent while on break but remaining at the employer’s disposal.

For flight attendants, approximately 90% of whom are unionized, the definition of work and what work is to be paid for is negotiated between employers and bargaining agents. CUPE agreed to the formula in the collective agreement that was signed approximately 10 years ago with Air Canada.

Private Member’s Bills C-409 and C-415

During the previous parliamentary sitting, Members of Parliament from the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party (NDP) each introduced similar Private Member’s Bills (PMBs) (C-409 and C-415, respectively), proposing to amend the Code to specify that flight attendants would be paid for certain work activities. Both bills died on the order paper.

In response to the bills, the former Minister of Labour indicated that the Government should not be commenting on the hours of work and wage provisions included in a collective agreement, and that the role of the Government is to establish minimum standards and let parties negotiate agreements.

During the 2025 electoral campaign, both the NDP leader and Green Party co-leader signed a pledge to introduce legislation to ban unpaid work for flight attendants. On August 12, Member of Parliament Don Davies, the interim leader of the NDP, announced that the party will reintroduce PMB C-415 this fall.

Lors du récent conflit de travail entre Air Canada et la composante d’Air Canada du Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP), des accusations ont été soulevé au sujet des tâches effectuées par les agents de bord avant et après les vols, spécifiquement que celles-ci étaient non rémunérées.

Le 18 août, la ministre de l’Emploi et des familles a annoncé le lancement d’une enquête sur le secteur aérien, par l’entremise de consultations visant à déterminer si la rémunération des agents de bord respecte au minimum les exigences du Code canadien du travail (Code).

À la suite du rejet d’une entente de principe par les membres du SCFP travaillant pour Air Canada, laquelle, selon les parties, prévoyait une rémunération pour le temps effectué avant et après les vols, la question en suspens des salaires a été référée à un arbitrage final et exécutoire. Conformément aux termes de l’entente conclue, aucune grève ou lock-out ne peut avoir lieu.

Le 4 septembre, des invitations ont été envoyées aux employés et aux employeurs du secteur aérien afin qu’ils participent à des tables rondes virtuelles à la fin du mois de septembre. Ces séances s’appuieront sur un guide de discussion qui sera envoyé aux parties prenantes avant les réunions et par le biais duquel les participants seront encouragés à partager leurs commentaires écrits.

À la suite des consultations, le Programme du travail publiera un rapport sur ce que nous avons entendu, prévu pour l’automne 2026.