On behalf of the nearly 310,000 CUPE members in the province, CUPE Ontario extends its support and solidarity to the striking members of CUPE 8125, the flight attendants who work for WestJet.
By taking job action to support their demands for a fair collective agreement and demanding true recognition of the value and duties of their work, WestJet flight attendants are defending not just their own interests, but those of airline workers across the country.
Their job action challenges structures around the real value of a workforce that is already underpaid, as well as assumptions about jobs that are performed mainly by women. WestJet flight attendants are fighting back by demanding their employer compensate their contributions fairly and in their entirety.
CUPE members, like the majority of Canadians, condemn the practice of unpaid work. A recent poll shows that more than 8 in 10 Canadians agree that flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties, including boarding, deplaning, delays and safety checks. And nearly two-thirds of Canadians say they support flight attendants in the dispute, compared with just 11% who support WestJet.
In addition, a strong majority support keeping flight attendants’ wages in line with inflation; improving scheduling and fatigue protections; and increasing pay to reflect the safety role of flight attendants.
CUPE Ontario supports flight attendants’ demands for the dignity and respect they deserve. Their strength and determination will deliver meaningful change to their own working conditions and ensure a better future for all workers.
Along with the workers that CUPE Ontario represents in municipalities, health care, school boards, social services and universities, we are proud to stand in solidarity with WestJet flight attendants.
We urge all CUPE locals in Ontario to support their CUPE 8125 comrades on the picket lines at airports in Hamilton, Kitchener and London and at Toronto-Pearson.
