Amid what the company characterizes as “cordial and respectable” bargaining, Transat says it is confident that agreement will be made with its flight attendants, who have voted to strike as early as Jan. 3, 2024. The union representing 2,100 flight attendants at Air Transat says workers voted to approve a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the flight attendants voted 99.8% in favour of backing the mandate and noted that the result was “by far the highest tally in the history of the Air Transat Component of CUPE.”
Dominic Levasseur, president of the Air Transat component of CUPE, says the next few weeks of negotiations will be critical. He adds it’s still possible to reach a new contract without resorting to a strike, but notes that the union’s members have an “exceptionally high level of dissatisfaction with their working conditions, particularly with wages and purchasing power.”
“Over the past 15 years, our members have had to make significant sacrifices during challenging times for the industry. Now, faced with the dizzying rise in the cost of living and the industry’s favourable prospects, they are ready to take action,” says Levasseur. “More than 50% of them have been forced to take on a second or even a third job to make ends meet, and their starting salary is only $26,577 per year.”
Unpaid work is also a subject of negotiation, adds the union.
Levasseur says, “The ball is in the employer’s court; they should be aware that our members have high expectations and are extremely motivated.”
In an email, Transat senior advisor of public relations and content market Marie-Christine Pouliot told Travel Industry Today, “Negotiations with the flight attendants began last April, and the parties have been in conciliation since October. The union obtaining a strike mandate is a normal process when the parties are in conciliation. It does not necessarily mean that it will actually be declared… We are confident to find an agreement (and) we are doing everything possible to ensure that the current negotiations do not affect our customers’ travel plans.”
She added, “So far, the tone at the bargaining table remains cordial and respectful, and discussions are progressing well on both parties’ respective demands. Transat maintains excellent working relations with its employees and CUPE and intends to make every effort to find an agreement that will satisfy both parties.”
The collective agreement for the flight attendants based at airports in Montreal and Toronto expired on Oct. 31, 2022. Since April 27, there have been 33 negotiation sessions.
The union warns, “In the event of a strike, it should be anticipated that all flights will be cancelled.”