Air Transat crew approves new contract, securing the industry’s highest pay in Canada
Air Transat, the Canadian leisure carrier, has reached a significant agreement with its cabin crew members, averting the risk of a strike.
As reported by Reuters, the cabin crew ratified a new contract following a vote in favor of a recommendation by the Canadian government's mediation body, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
This development comes amidst heightened demands from unions across various sectors, including aerospace, construction, airline, and rail industries, for better wages and benefits in a tight labor market.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents about 2,100 Air Transat cabin crew members, had turned to recommendations from mediators after talks with the airline had reached an impasse.
The new contract, acclaimed by CUPE, offers total compounded salary increases of 30 percent over five years. This deal, according to CUPE's statement, makes Air Transat's cabin crew the highest paid in the industry in Canada.
A key feature of the agreement is the removal of the first two salary levels, which ensures that flight attendants with less than three years of seniority will immediately move up to the third salary level, leading to a substantial increase in their salaries.
The approval of this contract was backed by about 63 percent of the flight attendants. Air Transat confirmed that the collective agreement is retroactive to November 1, 2022, and will be valid until October 31, 2027.
This ratification comes after earlier rejections of labor deals by the cabin crew members.
This agreement reflects a broader trend in the airline industry, both in Canada and the US, where cabin crews are increasingly advocating to be paid for more of their working hours.
This represents a significant shift from the traditional compensation model in the industry, which primarily pays crew members only when the aircraft is in motion.
