“This year, we salute the strength and professionalism of our 15,000 members nationwide after another challenging year battling the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty and risks that came with it,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Airline Division.
Today, our industry is on the rebound, our membership is growing across the country, and we are optimistic about what’s on the horizon for our members and our union.
In the year ahead, we are focused on turning the lessons learned during the pandemic into action. Ensuring our members have access to the best health and safety protections when and where they need them remains a top priority.
We are also energized and motivated about fighting alongside our sister unions in the United States to put an end to unpaid time on the ground during boarding, metering and deplaning. “An hour worked should be an hour paid,” said Lesosky. “The era of unpaid time on the ground for flight attendants will come to an end.”
We cannot let this occasion pass without also acknowledging that two of our CUPE airline members, Christina Carello and Alexander Rozov, remain trapped in the Dominican Republic after nearly two months, for reporting a crime that they did not commit. Christina and Alexander are in our thoughts every day and we will do whatever we can to bring them home safely as soon as possible.
For the year ahead and beyond, we wish all our members continued strength, safety and solidarity.
