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This week, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) announced that CUPE has been successful in its campaign to organize approximately 1,200 cabin crew at Porter Airlines.

“When workers organize, they win,” said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. “We are honoured to welcome Porter cabin crew to CUPE.  We look forward to making sure they get a fair deal when negotiating their very first collective agreement.”

“These workers will now have the resources of Canada’s largest union at their disposal,” said CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick. “This is a historic step in the fight for fair wages for flight attendants across the country.”

CUPE now represents approximately 20,000 cabin crew at airlines large and small across the country. For the past 40 years, CUPE has worked with flight attendants to raise the bar across the industry, with better wages and health and safety protections, improved cabin air quality standards, better premiums for extended duty days, and an end to restrictive and often discriminatory uniform and grooming policies.

“Today is a really big day for Porter cabin crew, and I’m so proud of my colleagues who have spent countless hours organizing for this win,” said Sarah Seal, a cabin crew member at Porter Airlines. “This is an exciting new chapter for all of us and we look forward to improving our working conditions and wages as Porter continues to grow and succeed.”

A union is just around the corner for Porter cabin crew.

If you’re still on the fence, just remember you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by signing your union card.

With our union, here are just a few things we’ll be able to fight for:

• Better wages for everyone, but especially for junior cabin crew
• Our rights in black and white that the company can’t take away
• Per diems that keep up with the rising cost of living
• Predictable pay and a process for resolving mistakes on our paycheques
• A real contract, instead of a pinky-swear from management
• Better scheduling
• Better uniform allowances
• Clean, safe, convenient hotels when we’re away from home
• An end to unpaid aircraft grooming
• Better health and safety protections on the job
• The support and resources of Canada’s flight attendant union
• The support and resources of Canada’s largest union
• A fair grievance process to make things right when our bosses break the rules
• Job protections in good times and in times of uncertainty
• The power to be industry leaders, not industry followers
• Extended duty day premiums
• A clear process and clear answers when the company makes changes to our work rules
• The power to lobby for legislative change in our industry
• Support when there’s a traumatic incident on-board
• Support for performance or disciplinary meetings
• And much more.

If you haven’t already, join hundreds of your colleagues and sign your union card today.

It’s now or never.

If you haven’t already heard: pilots at Porter have filed to certify their union! That means well over half of the pilots have signed their union cards with ALPA.

Pilots are now officially en route to better working conditions, fair compensation, and more respect and a stronger voice at work.

As cabin crew, we can’t get left behind. And if you sign your card today, we’ll be one step closer.

Already signed your card? Amazing. Why not encourage 1-2 friends to sign their cards today? It only takes a few minutes.

Did you sign your card before February 2025? If so, you need to renew your card. But don’t worry, it’s super simple! All you have to do is e-transfer a $5 application fee to porter@cupe.ca to renew your application.

Every card can make a difference, and in this pivotal moment, every voice counts!

Together, along with our colleagues at the front of the plane, we’ll have strong union representation and make our jobs even better!

Sign your card in three easy steps today! Head to porter.cupe.ca/sign-a-card to fill out the form, confirm your digital signature, and pay your $5 federally-mandated application fee. It takes less than five minutes.

 

We’re this close to winning our union at Porter.

But in order to stick this landing, we need every cabin crew member on board to get there. If you haven’t already, sign your card now!

Hundreds of your fellow crew have already signed their union cards. The momentum and enthusiasm we have seen over the past month has been incredible.

We’re now just steps away from being able to apply for certification and start building the strong, united voice we deserve.

As cabin crew, we know what it means to work together under pressure. This is one of those moments.

By signing your card today, you’re helping secure our shared power to negotiate for better wages, fair scheduling, stronger job protections, and the respect we deserve.

Our union is just around the corner — but we need you with us.

You might not think one card can make a difference, but in this pivotal moment, every voice counts!

Don’t wait. Your signature could be the one that puts us over the top.

Sign your card now – before it’s too late!

We had an amazing time meeting so many of you at our last meet-and-greet on April 17, so we decided to hold another one. As our union drive builds momentum toward the finish line, we’re excited to welcome all Porter cabin crew to a meet-and-greet near YTZ to talk all things Porter and CUPE.

Join us on June 3rd from 1300-1600 at the Wheat Sheaf Tavern (667 King Street, Toronto) for snacks and conversation. It will be a great opportunity to come sign your union card, chat with your coworkers, and get your questions answered. If you can’t make it and have questions, we are always happy to hear from you. Get in touch at porter@cupe.ca.

See you there!

It’s that time again! We are excited to invite you to attend an upcoming info session with CUPE to learn more about what it means to be a part of Canada’s largest flight attendant union.

Join us on May 5 at 6PM ET or on May 7 at 11AM ET for an opportunity to learn about CUPE, the process of forming a union for Porter cabin crew, and to get your questions answered.

You can also learn about how you can join the Unify Porter campaign to help make positive change in your workplace. We will also share updates about renewing your union cards!

CUPE Town Hall – Porter
Time: May 5, 2025 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 846 9103 2415
Passcode: 711342

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Meeting ID: 846 9103 2415
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdPLZBpdXO

Topic: CUPE Town Hall – Porter
Time: May 7, 2025 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 814 6165 6111
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• +1 647 558 0588 Canada
• +1 778 907 2071 Canada
• +1 780 666 0144 Canada
• +1 204 272 7920 Canada
• +1 438 809 7799 Canada
• +1 587 328 1099 Canada
• +1 647 374 4685 Canada

Meeting ID: 814 6165 6111
Passcode: 357406

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc3erYAwN4

By now, many of you have noticed a big change in your pairings – cabin crew and pilots are no longer working the same pairings from start to finish.

For many of us, this could mean longer duty days, more legs flown in a day, and shorter rest on layovers and at home. And it might only get tougher as the company continues rolling out these changes into May.

While pilots are getting pairings that allow them to commute from non-base cities, cabin crew do not have the same options. Pilots have much stronger protection under Transport Canada’s aviation regulations than cabin crew. And let’s remember, even with better pairings and transport, the pilots are also in the process of unionizing.

This is just one more reason why Porter cabin crew need to form a union of our own, with the protection of a collective agreement. We need a union, and a real contract that goes above and beyond the bare minimum under the law.

With a union and a real contract, Porter cabin crew will have strong language protecting the length of our duty days, the number of legs flown in a day, and the length of rest while we’re on layover and at home. This protects health and safety for the crew and passengers alike.

Why is Porter doing this? It probably makes business sense for them. But it shouldn’t be done at the expense of our health and safety.

As cabin crew, we know that we deserve safe and healthy scheduling – and with a union and a real contract, we can work to protect it while helping our company succeed.

If you haven’t already, sign your union card today to get the strong union protection we deserve.

As our union drive builds momentum toward the finish line, we’re excited to welcome all Porter cabin crew to a meet-and-greet near YTZ to talk all things Porter and CUPE.

Join us on April 17 from 1300-1600 at the Wheat Sheaf Tavern (667 King Street, Toronto) for snacks and conversation. It will be a great opportunity to come sign your union card, chat with your coworkers, and get your questions answered. If you can’t make it and have questions, we are always happy to hear from you. Get in touch at porter@cupe.ca.

See you there!

“I’m just one person. Will my card even make a difference?” We’ve heard this a few times now. And the answer is always a resounding: YES. 

The wonderful thing about a union is recognizing that we are so much stronger as a collective voice than we are trying to advocate for ourselves alone.  

Every single one of us can play our own small part in making big change at our jobs, and making all of us stronger as whole. 

So why wait? 

Whether it’s a card renewal or signing your card for the very first time – yours could be the card that gets us across the finish line to finally have the fair contract and strong union representation we’ve been working towards. 

Don’t delay – sign your union card today! 

Many of you have reached this week to share how mistakes on this week’s pay are affecting you. We understand how important consistent and reliable pay is, and this can really impact your ability to pay your rent or your mortgage and your bills. It can also take a toll on your ability to take care of yourself and your family, and your mental health as well. 

Workers shouldn’t have to wonder what will happen when their employer makes a mistake on their paycheque. Many CUPE collective agreements have language in place outlining exactly what happens when an employer underpays their workers, with a clear process to make things right . 

With a union, we’ll be able to negotiate our own collective agreement with black and white language on what this process looks like. We shouldn’t be left short-changed on payday, and we shouldn’t have to rely on the good will of our employer to fix their mistakes. 

To learn more, reach out to porter@cupe.ca. 

To sign your card and join our union, click here. 

If you’ve already signed your card – great! Why not share this message with a few friends and colleagues? 

 

Being called into a performance meeting or a disciplinary meeting is one of the most intimidating experiences we can have as cabin crew.

When we talk to Porter cabin crew about why they want to sign their union card to join CUPE, it’s one of the reasons we hear most often. More and more of you have been reaching out to us lately, sharing stories about how these meetings are affecting you at work.

Receiving a CTT, a PVR, or getting called into a meeting at work can be a stressful situation to handle alone. But with a union, we will never have to face management alone.

With a union, we will have a clear process for disciplinary matters that ensures that these issues are handled fairly and equitably.

With a union, we’ll have a union representative with us to support us, advocate for us, and ensure that we know our rights.

With a union, we’ll get fair treatment and due process every step of the way.

As cabin crew, we spend half our month on the road. For many of us, this means countless stays at airport hotels.

CUPE airline locals across Canada have negotiated contract language with recognized hotel committees. These committees are made up of cabin crew like us who get a say in where we stay. They are tasked with ensuring crew have clean, safe hotel spaces with the necessary amenities to take care of ourselves on the road.

Hotel committees can even advocate for things like complimentary breakfast, discounts at the hotel restaurant, and quieter room blocks. All these things add up to make life away from home a little easier.

CUPE airline locals even have negotiated language about where crews stay on long layovers. Is the layover over 16 hours? Then Air Canada FAs stay downtown.

For WestJet crew, hotels must be a maximum 20-minute drive from the airport, unless the layover is over 18 hours, in which case they stay downtown.

If we’re going to spend hours of our month on the road, we should have a say in where we stay. With our union, we will!

With a union hotel committee, we will be consulted, and we will be part of the process of determining where cabin crew get to cool off after a long day in the air and on the go.

Sign your union card today and let’s get one step closer to forming our own hotel committee.

Aviation safety has been on all of our minds lately. When faced with an emergency, cabin crew are trained to spring into action and respond to ensure that passengers are safe. But when all is said and done, who has our backs?

Whether it’s a decompression, a rapid deplanement, a diversion or – worst case scenario – an evacuation, it’s important that we know someone will support us in the aftermath. CUPE airline locals across Canada have processes in place to support cabin crew in these exact situations.

When unionized flight attendants experience emergency situations at work, union representatives (such as a health and safety representative) will meet the aircraft and ensure that the cabin crew are supported through this experience. Whether it’s helping fill out paperwork, accessing employee assistance programs, ensuring that crew have access to mental health and trauma supports, or ensuring that you are not forced to continue working after a serious incident, your union representatives are there to support you.

Every union local has their own process and we as Porter cabin crew can create one that works for us. As safety professionals we look out for the passengers, and as union members with CUPE, we will look out for one another. It’s a one crew concept – sign your union card today.

It’s that time again! You’re invited to an info session with CUPE to learn more about what it means to be a part of Canada’s largest flight attendant union.

Join us on January 24 at 15:30 ET for an opportunity to learn about CUPE, the process of forming a union for Porter cabin crew, and to get your questions answered.

You can also learn about how you can join the Unify Porter campaign to help make positive change in your workplace. We will also share updates about renewing your union cards!

Contact us at porter@cupe.ca and we’ll send you the Zoom login info!

A question that your union team has been getting a lot lately: when can I talk about the union?

Porter has been telling crew that we are not allowed to talk about forming our union while we are in uniform. This is not correct.

You have a legal right to form a union, and you can talk about the union when you are off the aircraft.

We would encourage you to talk about forming your union when you are off the aircraft, but this does not mean you can’t be in uniform.

The same goes for signing your card. We suggest signing your card when you aren’t on paid hours of work, but this does not stop you from signing your card in the airport. In fact, you can come and chat with our organizers in the airport if you have questions and are ready to sign a card. Follow us on Instagram (@unifyporternow) to find out when we’ll be in the airport or just look for us on your way to or from your pairing.

You can also sign your card online. To set up a time to meet with an organizer please reach out and we would be happy to connect with you! Just shoot us a confidential email at porter@cupe.ca.

As we get closer to forming our union, we can expect the company to step up their efforts to discourage us. But just remember, it is your right to join a union. Together, we will make it happen!

Yesterday, Porter distributed a memo announcing “we will be the first Canadian airline to introduce Pay for Boarding for Cabin Crew, effective January 1, 2025.” Unfortunately, that is not correct. But we are happy to set the record straight!

Cabin crew at Pascan Aviation – who are unionized with CUPE – were actually the first to enjoy paid boarding when they negotiated it into their very first contract after unionizing in 2022.

While Porter is only promising to pay cabin crew for a part for boarding, Pascan flight attendants get their full rate for a full hour for boarding. Pascan flight attendants also negotiated full pay for other ground duties and training.

So, in reality, Porter will not be the first airline to offer Pay for Boarding, and their offer falls far short of the Pay for Boarding that unionized flight attendants already enjoy.

And as you might have noticed, Air Canada flight attendants unionized with CUPE are currently campaigning for full rate of pay for all hours worked in their negotiations that just got under way.

It’s clear: with a union, we will have real power to end the rampant abuse of unpaid work, not just at Porter but across our entire industry.

Meanwhile, it isn’t even clear how this policy will work. Is it full-pay for half an hour? Or is it half-pay for half an hour – in other words, 15 minutes of our regular pay? At the moment, no one seems to know.

But we know one thing: boarding doesn’t take 15 minutes and we are lucky if it only takes 30. Half-pay is just another half-measure, and we are worth more than that.

We can do better than half-measures – and we will, once we have our union.

If you’re ready for the real thing, sign your union card today!

The situation with per diems at Porter has gone from bad to worse. Far too many cabin crew already rely on meal per diems to meet their monthly expenses. The company has been making and breaking promises to match our per diems to US exchange rates for years. Per diem rates themselves haven’t gone up in years, even though inflation has sent the cost of food and incidentals through the roof.

All of this is literally eating into our take-home pay every month. But a union can help.

It’s difficult to find affordable, healthy food away from home – especially when we’re often transiting through airports and airport hotels. It’s especially tough when prices have skyrocketed and our company is offering us the same meal per diem they did long before inflation went sky-high.

We end up paying more for meals because of airport prices – even Tim Horton’s prices are jacked up at the airport. Food restrictions at international borders make it even harder to pack meals for the workday and avoid buying food in inflated US dollars.

We deserve better than struggling just to feed ourselves on the job. Porter flight attendants deserve “best-in-class” working conditions, and that includes meal per diems that keep up with inflation and allow us to stay fed and healthy away from home.

With a union, we can make it happen.

Air Transat flight attendants represented by CUPE negotiated for $5.23/hour in Canada and up to $7.62/hour outside of Canada for meals. That’s more than double what Porter is giving us right now.

Air Canada flight attendants represented by CUPE negotiated their per diems by meal, and are receiving $17.95 for breakfast, $20.33 for lunch, $40.27 for dinner, and $10.53 for snacks. And when they’re working in the United States, those figures are paid in US dollars.

Compare that with the $3.70/hour that Porter is paying us and it’s abundantly clear that we have a lot of ground to make up.

Inflation has taken its toll on our wallets but with a union, we can ensure everyone is keeping their head above-water.

Sign your union card to join CUPE today!

Being a flight attendant and maintaining a polished, professional look on the go can be tough. We’ve heard reports recently of the company cracking down on CTTs over strict uniform standards.

Another thing we’ve heard: Porter cabin crew are getting tired of the crackdowns and the lack of support. Our jobs are tough enough as it is.

But with a union, we’ll get the support we need and deserve in order to look our best on the job.

Flight attendants unionized with CUPE have benefited from those supports in negotiating their contracts.

• Air Canada flight attendants negotiated a yearly allowance of $120 per year for footwear, as well as a monthly dry-cleaning allowance of $45.
• Sunwing and Air Transat flight attendants negotiated a flat $85 per month allowance for dry-cleaning and footwear.
• Calm Air flight attendants have all dry-cleaning paid by their airline, along with a $300 footwear allowance per year.

Porter cabin crew can and will determine what’s best for us when the time comes – but this gives you an idea of the support we’ll get with a union backing us.

CUPE also has a long and proud history of fighting discriminatory and unreasonable uniform policies in the airline industry. Most recently, CUPE fought for and won the right of flight attendants to have visible tattoos and piercings on the job.

If you’re ready for better uniform supports, sign your union card today!

Being on the low end of the pay scale as a flight attendant isn’t easy. But a union can help you get ahead.

Even with the latest changes to the pay scale, most junior cabin crew at Porter are only making $30 per hour in 2025. Meanwhile, entry level flight attendants unionized with CUPE at Air Transat, for example, are earning $39.21 per hour. That’s a big difference – and that’s the difference that a union-negotiated contract can make!

Isn’t it a bit odd that Porter shares routes with Air Transat, but non-unionized Porter cabin crew are earning $9.21 – or about 24 per cent – less per hour than unionized Air Transat flight attendants?

Unionized workers, on average, earn 28% more than non-unionized workers in the same field. Young workers who belong to a union earn $5.48 more per hour than their non-unionized counterparts, on average.

Being part of a union is about making progress for everyone – and at Porter, it’s clear that we have so much to gain with a union backing us up.

Sign your union card today to help all cabin crew – but especially the juniors – get ahead.

Being part of a strong union means being able to negotiate better contracts. It also means being able to advocate to change the law and improve our industry and our profession as a whole.

As Canada’s flight attendant union, CUPE is celebrating the introduction of Bill C-415, the Flight Attendant Remuneration Act, in the House of Commons. The legislation from NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo will ban the practice of forcing flight attendants to perform hours of pre-flight, post-flight, and training duties without pay.

Bill C-415 will require airlines to pay flight attendants their full rate for all hours worked.

Click here to tell your Member of Parliament to support Bill C-415.

The bill comes after significant input and consultation with CUPE’s Airline Division. As Carolyn Bugnon, President of CUPE Local 4094 representing Air Canada flight attendants based in Vancouver, said: “This bill is the bill that flight attendants wanted, and we are grateful to Bonita and the NDP for working with us as partners to develop this legislation.”

The legislation is the direct result of CUPE’s Airline Division’s Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign, which kicked off with a national day of action in April 2023, and a lobby day on Parliament Hill in May 2024.

Bill C-415 is a testament to the power of collective action by CUPE flight attendants who work at airlines big and small all across Canada. When flight attendants work together, and stand united, we can move mountains!

Click here to show your support for Bill C-415 by signing a letter to your MP.

And if you’re ready to grow your voice at work and in the halls of power, sign your union card today!

As our drive to form our union for cabin crew picks up steam, it’s no surprise we’re getting more attention from management.

Management has been trying to fearmonger about “the union” as if the union were a third party. In reality, the union is us – the cabin crew who keep this airline flying.

The union is not some scary outside entity; it’s made up of your coworkers and friends. It’s made up of cabin crew who are acknowledging, one by one, that a better life is possible when we work together to achieve it.

In short, the union is you!

And as a member in a union like CUPE, you are in control.

You set your priorities for negotiating your contract.

You elect your local representatives to represent you in negotiations.

You vote on how much your union dues will be.

And along the way, you have the support and resources from Canada’s flight attendant union to help you negotiate the contract you need and deserve.

CUPE represents 18,500 flight attendants at ten different airlines. With CUPE’s support, we will have the expertise and support we need to bargain a better contract and a better life for Porter cabin crew.

If you’re ready to take the next step, sign your union card today.

For forty years, flight attendants in Canada have had CUPE backing them up, and helping this industry succeed. We want Porter to be successful because we love our jobs – but we know there are so many ways our jobs need to improve. We also know that management will never give us those improvements of their own volition. We need to work together to make them a reality.

We disagree with a recent memo from management that characterized our effort to organize a union with our coworkers as “spreading negativity”. As Porter cabin crew, we think working together for a better deal at work is a positive thing. We think working together to get the respect and better wages we deserve at work is a positive thing. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead to make positive changes at our jobs. And we’re going to keep up our efforts until that goal becomes a reality.

It’s not surprising that the company isn’t thrilled that every week, more and more Porter cabin crew are signing their union card. When we have our union, the company won’t be pulling all the strings anymore. They won’t be able to make arbitrary changes to our working conditions. They will have to negotiate a fair wage, better per diems, and better benefits. They will have to play by the rules that both parties agree to. They’ve never had to do that before and it makes them uncomfortable.

The company says that cabin crew forming their own union doesn’t guarantee anything. But flight attendants at other airlines who unionized with CUPE enjoy industry-leading wages, per diems that actually keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of living, better benefits, predictable schedules, and working conditions that don’t change overnight on a whim. We will let you draw your own conclusions about what you can expect once Porter cabin crew have a union 😊

In the meantime, if you haven’t already signed your union card, do it today. And if you have, why not encourage a friend to signs theirs?

“We’ve heard from a number of you that there isn’t a clear process in place where you can resolve issues and get answers.” Those were the words from Porter’s director of in-flight services to cabin crew yesterday – and sadly, we have to agree.

This acknowledgement from management also reflects how many cabin crew feel every time Porter makes changes to our work rules that make our jobs worse. And to be honest, that seems to be happening a lot these days!

Now, having a voice through FOAG is better than having no voice at all. But every day, more and more cabin crew are seeing that our voice could be so much stronger. We’re seeing that our jobs could be so much better if we take the next step, and upgrade from FOAG to a real union with a real voice and real power to make positive changes and defend our rights.

FOAG is an important channel for conveying our concerns to management. But without a clear process for resolving issues – and without any real teeth – the company will always be free to ignore our concerns, deny us answers, and make big changes without our input.

With a union, the company will have to come to us first before they make these kinds of changes to our working conditions, and they’ll be accountable for their decisions to us through the union. Of course, with a union, we would never refuse changes that make our jobs better. But having a union will give us the power to demand clear answers, or say no when the company tries to make changes that make our jobs worse.

The difference is clear. If you’re ready to upgrade from FOAG to a real union, sign your union card today.

“We know that the aviation industry is ever-changing…but our work agreement doesn’t have to be! I love my job. That’s why I want Porter to unionize. I’m proud of the work that we do, and the safety and service we provide. There are many reasons why most major airlines have the security of a union behind them. With a union, we can protect what we have, rally for what we want, and create a solid, binding agreement that benefits us as cabin crew. The conversations are already happening. We deserve a seat at the table!” – Kate, YYZ

Flight attendants need more consistency in their day-to-day, not less. But unfortunately, without a union-negotiated contract, Porter can (and does) bend the rules as they please, and it’s cabin crew who lose out as a result.

Kate at YYZ and hundreds of other Porter cabin crew have already signed their union cards, and taken the first step toward building a more consistent and fair work environment for everyone.

If you’re ready to have more control and more consistency in your schedule, sign your union card today!

“I want a union so we can have a real voice in negotiating a real contract that won’t suddenly change without our agreement. We love our jobs and take pride in the high standard of service we provide. We owe it to ourselves to protect what we have and continue improving our our salaries, work rules and benefits. There is strength in unity. Let’s unionize and make our jobs even better – together!” – Cole, YHZ

Joining a union is a powerful opportunity to take a good thing and make it even better.

As Cole from YHZ points out, there is strength in unity, and when cabin crew at Porter work together, they can solidify their achievements in a binding contract, and keep working to improve their jobs through collective bargaining.

If you’re ready to work together to make our jobs even better, then sign your union card today!

We had such an amazing turnout and engagement at our last Zoom info session with CUPE’s Airline Division President Wesley Lesosky – that we’ve decided to hold another one!

Join us on Tuesday, August 27 at 19:00 ET for an ask-me-anything session with Wesley, to learn more about CUPE, the process of forming a union for Porter cabin crew, and any other questions you might have. You can also learn more about how you can join the campaign to form a union at Porter for cabin crew to bring forward more positive change in your workplace.

Wesley is an Air Canada flight attendant, a longstanding leader for flight attendants, and a national voice on ending unpaid work in the airline industry. He has been President of CUPE’s Airline Division since 2020.

Send us an email at porter@cupe.ca for Zoom login info.

Tuesday, August 27, 19:00 ET

“I have been a Purser at Porter since 2013. I would love to have a union to ensure cabin crew earn not only a livable wage, but a wage that correlates to our best-in-class service and skill. It’s important to show cabin crew that they are valued in a tangible way. As Porter succeeds so should we!” – Sarah, YOW

Most Porter cabin crew are just getting by, when we should be getting ahead.

We deserve better recognition and compensation for the incredible work we do, and that’s why Sarah and hundreds of other cabin crew like her have signed their union cards to join CUPE and build a union for all Porter cabin crew.

If you’re ready to get the recognition you deserve, then sign your union card today!

We all know how busy the summer season can be for flying and how much work this can be on cabin crew.

When vacation season is upon us do you have rules in place that crew scheduling follows? What happens when you work an extended duty day? Is there recognition for these long hours? What about overtime? If you get called on a day off how is that recognized?

At unionized airlines like Air Transat and WestJet there are negotiated premiums for duty days over 14 hours. There is also negotiated language on overtime flying. WestJet flight attendants, for example, who are represented by CUPE, receive a $200 duty premium for minutes 1-60 beyond a maximum duty period and $400 for minutes 61-120 after that. Air Transat, Sunwing, and WestJet all have premiums between $700-800 for voluntary extensions past 16 hours.

These airlines also have a grievance procedure in place so that if the employer is not following your contract you can file a grievance with your union local. Filing a grievance is your best protection when your employer doesn’t follow the rules set out in your union contract.

All of this is a result of collective bargaining a legally binding contract with input from the members – this means you as cabin crew!

To get the protection of a collective agreement and recognition for all of your hard work during vacation season Sign your union card today.

Have you noticed just how many changes Porter has made to our compensation and work rules recently? Since the very first day of our union drive, the company has suddenly become very concerned with keeping cabin crew happy.

As cabin crew, we love our jobs. But we believe things can always be better. The company disputed that notion in a recent email. They say there’s no guarantee a union will make our jobs better, but to that say we say: it already has! Our union drive has already proven that collective action can and will make positive changes in our jobs.

We don’t even have a union yet, and the company is already responding to pressure from our union drive and our growing collective strength with positive changes to our pay and our working conditions.

As cabin crew, we have so much more power to improve our compensation and our work rules when we work together.  Here’s proof our union drive is already working:

• Last summer, we started talking about ending unfair two-tier wage scales that force junior employees to do the same work as their colleagues for significantly less pay. Shortly thereafter, Porter removed the B-scale.
• With its Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign, CUPE’s airline division has been lobbying the federal government to change the federal labour code to ban unpaid work in our industry, and fully pay flight attendants for all hours worked. Our union drive has also been highlighting this unfair practice in our industry. And on the very same day legislation was tabled in the House of Commons to make the changes we’ve been fighting for, Porter announced they will start half-pay for boarding next year. Once again, the company is playing catch-up with half-measures.
• In January, the company abruptly implemented its 24-hour reserve policy, which had a major negative impact on the ability of many cabin crew to keep a predictable schedule and maintain our other commitments in life. Our union drive took aim at these unfair measures, and the company repealed them last week.
• In past years Porter has consistently used smaller carriers with lower wages for benchmarking. But in the year the company is facing a union drive that is calling on them to start using Air Canada and Air Transat (who have negotiated the highest wages in the industry through CUPE) as comparators on wages, the company started using those airlines for benchmarking.

These aren’t just happy coincidences. This is hard proof that our union drive is already working in our collective favour, and proof that things can only get better from here.

If we can accomplish all of these changes together before we have even certified our union, imagine everything we could achieve with a real union and a real contract.

Think about all the positive changes we could make to keep on improving not just our wages and our work rules, but our per diems, our sick days, our representation in disciplinary meetings, and so much more.

We love our jobs, and by signing a union card, you’re joining hundreds of your coworkers in signing up for positive change at your job. With the the powerful advocacy and collective efforts of Porter cabin crew, these positive changes that will only continue to grow as our union grows stronger. Sign your union card today.

“Porter’s philosophy is not to be the highest paying flight attendant airline in Canada.”

Those were the words from Porter’s head of People and Culture yesterday during a call with cabin crew about benchmarking – words which your director also happens to agree with.

In fact, this benchmark even exceeded her expectations. But did it exceed yours?

It’s the same sentiment expressed by Kevin Jackson in an email to cabin crew on June 5, when he said Air Canada will always play catchup to Porter, whether it’s the quality-of-service Porter cabin crew provide or the in-flight snacks and beverage service our airline offers to passengers.

But when it comes to our airline valuing and paying its employees, the company’s attitude and approach are clear: they will never even try to catch up to other airlines. In fact, on yesterday’s call, when asked why Porter won’t offer higher wages for Porter cabin crew, in line with what flight attendants earn at Air Canada, the head of People and Culture said that Air Canada flight attendants do more than us.

In the middle of this cost-of-living crisis, when the cost of everything seems to be going up, how do you feel about being valued at 50% when your service expectations are 110%?

How do you feel being told that your service is above and beyond your competitors, but you will never get paid more – or even the same – as them?

How do you feel knowing pilots at Porter are benchmarked at 65%, when we as cabin crew are only benchmarked at 50%?

We think we’re worth more, and we think we deserve better. Together, we can and we will do better.

With a union, we’ll have a real contract that we negotiate with the company, instead of the company picking and choosing elements from other airlines to benchmark when it suits them.

We’re almost there. Signing your union card today will help take us one step closer.

Once enough of us have signed our union cards, the federal labour board will freeze our working conditions until we negotiate our first contract, so the company can’t penalize us for unionizing by taking away our wages and working conditions. Once we have a union, what we have now will be our floor, not a ceiling, and together we can set our sights high to make our jobs even better.

Things can – and should – be a lot better at our jobs. Sign your union card today to help get us there!

There’s a myth out there that Porter cabin crew don’t need a union because they already have the FOAG. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The differences between a union and the FOAG couldn’t be more stark.

Is the FOAG better than absolutely nothing at all? Yes. But is it anywhere close to ensuring Porter cabin crew are respected, well-treated, and listened to? Hard no. We can do so much better.

With FOAG, cabin crew are outnumbered 8-to-5 by company-friendly representatives on the committee who are not looking out for the best interest of cabin crew.

With FOAG, the company can make changes to working conditions at any time, with or without the input of cabin crew.

With the FOAG, there’s a process to hear employee feedback, but no accountability to ensure it’s acted upon – so it’s as if we’re sending emails into the void and hoping for the best.

And with FOAG, everything is non-binding, so the company can pick and choose when it wants to abide by the rules.

It could be so much better for us as cabin crew at Porter.

With a union, we’ll be on equal footing with the company.

Our working conditions will be in black and white, with a contract that the company can only change if we as union members agree.

We’ll have a grievance procedure to ensure our voices are heard.

And our contract will be a binding, legal document – not a pinky swear from the company that they can ignore whenever it’s inconvenient.

If you’re ready to take the next step and make your job even better, sign your union card today!

Parliament Hill was a buzz last week with CUPE flight attendants from nine different airlines engaging in a day of action to raise awareness about unpaid work in the airline industry.

On the eve of International Flight Attendant Day, flight attendants leafletted and talked with morning commuters, held meetings with MPs and Senators from all major parties, and held a news conference with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to take aim at the lack of action from the federal government to remedy the issue of unpaid work.

“Abusive industry practices thrive in the darkness, so we are here to shine a light, so that airline executives can no longer hide in the dark,” said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division.

Our companies may compete against each other for market share, but as flight attendants, we have a lot to gain by working together to improve industry standards. Together, we are changing minds on Parliament Hill and getting that much closer to ending the abuse of unpaid work in our industry. We love our jobs, but we aren’t volunteers!

You can see photos of the day of action here.

If you haven’t already, sign your union card here today!

Porter pilots join cabin crew in journey for union representation

By now you have probably seen the news that a union drive is underway for pilots at Porter, with the Air Line Pilots Association.

It’s an exciting moment, as another key group of workers at Porter begins their journey to form a union and expand their rights at work. We want to congratulate the pilots and wish them the best!

You might be thinking: pilots already have very strong compensation and they received their benchmarking pay raises months ago. But the pilots also understand that things can and should always be better, and getting the respect and the strong voice they deserve at work starts with forming a union.

And it’s the same story for cabin crew.

Like cabin crew, pilots want our company to succeed.

Like cabin crew, pilots have serious concerns about their working conditions.

Like cabin crew, the pilots are looking to strengthen their position with the company.

We don’t have everything in common with pilots – but on the things that really matter, we can gain a lot by supporting each other in our shared goal of better compensation and better working conditions at our airline.

Now, the race is on. Who will be the first group at Porter to certify? Ready, set, go!

Sign your card union card today, and let your friends know you’re signing your card too.

 

If you’re receiving this message, it’s because there’s a strong chance you’ve already signed your union card to help build a strong union for cabin crew at Porter.

If so, that’s awesome. But the job’s not done yet!

As more and more Porter cabin crew sign their union cards every week, we wanted to send along a few tips and reminders for those long-haulers who might have signed their cards a while back. Here we go…

1. Confirm that you have actually signed your card and paid the federally-mandated $5 CIRB application fee. Email us at porter@cupe.ca to confirm.
2. Bring a plus-one (or two)! Everything’s better when you can bring a friend along, so why not talk to two friends who are thinking about signing their card or who you know have been putting it off. The faster people sign their cards, the sooner we can get to work strengthening our wages and our rights at work.
3. Remember it’s best to sign your card during breaks – not on the aircraft.
4. Know your rights! Federal law protects your right to talk to your coworkers about joining a union (but it’s best to do this on breaks or off the aircraft). Federal law also prohibits your employer from threatening or intimidating any employee who seeks to join or form a union. Contact an organizer at porter@cupe.ca if you believe your employer is threatening or intimidating you or your coworkers.

As always, you can get more info and sign your card at porter.cupe.ca/sign-a-card.

Porter talks a lot about benchmarking and how they work with the FOAG committee. But in reality, changes to our wages and working conditions only happen if and when the company wants them to.

Benchmarking, in other words, is Porter’s practice of picking and choosing items from collective agreements negotiated by flight attendants at other airlines, and selectively applying them at Porter according to what’s best for the company – but not necessarily according to what’s best for cabin crew.

For example, Porter looks to Air Canada to benchmark things like 24-hour reserve, but they would never use Air Canada as a benchmark for wages. (Side note: if Porter is looking for a new benchmark for wages, perhaps they should benchmark Air Transat, where CUPE flight attendants recently negotiated a new starting wage of $39.21 per hour in November 2024.)

What works for cabin crew at other airlines may not work for cabin crew at Porter.

That is precisely why Porter cabin crew need and deserve a collective agreement of our own. We need and deserve to set our own terms, using our own independent research (which we’ll get as part of CUPE, with a dedicated airline sector researcher). We deserve to chart our own path.

Rather than following standards set at other airlines, that the company picks and chooses as it pleases, we should be setting the standard – for ourselves and for our whole industry.

With a union, we can negotiate better wages and a better quality of life.

With a union, we can be industry leaders – instead of industry followers.

Sign your union card today!

Watch this special message for Porter Cabin Crew from CUPE’s National President Mark Hancock.

CUPE has 40 years experience as Canada’s flight attendant union, and together we can make sure that you, the cabin crew who keep this industry in the air, share in your airline’s success and have a stronger say and a bigger paycheck at the end of a long duty day.

Sign your card today!

 

With so many folks reaching out to learn more about CUPE we thought this would be the perfect time for another info session. You are invited to join us on Zoom April 29th at 13:30EST. We are thrilled that we will be joined by CUPE’s Airline Division President Wesley Lesosky. Wesley is an Air Canada flight attendant, a longstanding leader for flight attendants, and a national voice on ending unpaid work in the airline industry.

This will be an opportunity to learn about CUPE, the process of forming a union for Porter cabin crew, and to get your questions answered. You can also learn about how you can join the Unify Porter campaign to help make positive change in your workplace.

Send us an email at porter@cupe.ca for Zoom login info.

April 29^th, 2024, 13:30EST-15:00 EST

We’re devastated for the flight attendants and all the workers at Lynx Air who will lose their jobs on Sunday at midnight.

It’s important to remember that while this is difficult news for flight attendants at Lynx, they are better off for belonging to CUPE. As union members, CUPE will be able to represent them and defend their rights, assist them through this transition, and ensure they receive everything they are legally entitled to as a result of Lynx Air’s decision to shutter its operations.

In the beginning, Lynx flight attendants reached out to CUPE because they wanted someone to be their voice, and CUPE will advocate vigorously on their behalf throughout the process ahead. CUPE has a proud history of success in achieving strong settlements for workers when companies are forced to shut down.

It is also crucial to underline one last thing: the employees’ decision to unionize had nothing to do with the company’s decision to close operations. The company has said so itself, stating that it was losing investors and didn’t have the capital to support continued operations.

This is a difficult day for everyone in our industry. Let’s keep the cabin crew at Lynx in our thoughts this weekend and in the days and weeks ahead.

We’re doing it for The Gram (and for your rights at work too).

Sorry. Had to.

But seriously, we are excited to be bringing our campaign to unify Porter flight attendants to social media.

We launched an Instagram page a few days ago, and we would love if you’d give us a follow @unifyporternow.

Please share with your friends and colleagues and help us extend our reach.

Oh, and if you haven’t already, sign your card to join CUPE and expand your rights at work today.

Earlier this week, Porter announced it will be opening three new jet bases later this year in Ottawa, Montreal, and Vancouver. This is awesome news! As a flight attendant union, CUPE supports growth and job creation in the sector.

But we also know how important it is for flight attendants to have someone looking out for them while companies pursue rapid expansion on a big scale – so that nobody is left behind in the shuffle.

A union can help protect you and your rights at work while your airline expands and grows.

A union would work to establish a fair process to manage flow, so the procedure for determining who is assigned to which base and which aircraft type is done fairly.

A union will also ensure you have the proper training to work on your new aircraft type, if that is changing as well.

A union can also help flight attendants at Porter protect and expand moving allowances if you’re required to change your base of operations.

Want to make sure you’re looked after as Porter expands? Sign your union card today.

Flight attendants at Lynx Air are just the latest to vote to join CUPE. Approximately 240 Lynx cabin crew based at Calgary and Toronto-Pearson will now have the protection and benefit of union membership. Will cabin crew at Porter be next?

The issues facing cabin crew at Lynx aren’t so different from the ones facing cabin crew at Porter. They want more control over their schedule, better compensation for long duty days, and a contract that addresses concerns over fatigue and compensation.

Now, with Canada’s flight attendant union in their corner, they’ll have the resources and tools to go out and make it a reality.

CUPE now represents flight attendants at 11 different airlines – small, medium, and large. Since 1984, CUPE has been working to make life better for flight attendants in Canada, and they are ready to bring those 40 years of experience and expertise to bear for flight attendants at Porter.

We love our jobs – let’s make them even better with the help of Canada’s flight attendant union.

Sign your card to join CUPE today!

One of the biggest differences when you have a union is that when your bosses break the rules, you have a union in your corner to help make things right.

When you form a union your work rules and working conditions are codified into a contract,  more commonly known as a collective agreement. This agreement is negotiated between your union – specifically, the employees elected to the bargaining committee – and your employer. Collective agreements are legally binding, meaning both employees and employer have to respect and follow the collective agreement. If your employer breaches the collective agreement your union can file a complaint, known as a grievance.

The process for filing a grievance is slightly different in every collective agreement, but most tend to follow similar steps that increasingly escalate. In the early stages of a grievance, the individual or union local has a discussion with the employer. This process continues through different stages in the hopes of resolving the issue.

If it is still not resolved, a local may decide to refer a grievance to arbitration. Arbitration is sort of like a labour court, where an independent arbitrator will issue a final decision on the grievance. Knowing that a matter can be referred to arbitration is often incentive for an employer to try to resolve the issue sooner – and often, it’s an incentive not to breach the collective agreement in the first place!

That’s a world of difference from where we are with Porter today. Right now, if Porter doesn’t follow the FOAG, there are no consequences, and as employees, we have no means to hold them accountable. But with a union, we will have a process in place if Porter does not respect and follow the rules.

Have questions about grievances, or anything else to do with forming a union? Contact us at porter@cupe.ca.

And if you’re ready to sign your card and expand your rights at work, sign your union card today.

 

 

To have a strong union that is equipped to go to bat for better pay and working conditions, union members make contributions to their union known as “dues”.

As a CUPE member, you’ll have a say in how your union local spends your dues so you can be sure you’re getting good value for your dues money. Each CUPE local sets its own dues structure, depending on its own needs and priorities. Typically, average dues are 1.5% of regular wages, with 0.85% going to National dues. The remaining percentage for local dues is voted on by the membership – in other words, you!

What are you getting in exchange for union dues? In short, a lot.

Your dues help pay for staff provided by CUPE – like lawyers, researchers, and pay equity, health and safety, and communications specialists – who will help you negotiate a strong contract and make gains at the bargaining table.

Your dues also cover the costs of the daily operations of your union local, like office expenses, newsletters, trainings and events.

A portion of your dues also goes to a special fund to ensure you have the resources to defend your jobs and your wages in the event of job action.

Altogether, for pennies on the dollar, your dues help ensure there’s a strong union looking out for you, your livelihood, and your safety while you’re on the job.

Importantly, your union dues are also tax deductible.

With CUPE, you get your money’s worth – and then some!

Sign your union card to join CUPE today!

As we’ve seen time and time again,  Porter can make changes to our working conditions whenever they want – to make them better, or worse.

This month, Porter is implementing its new 24-hour reserve policy, which is making it very difficult for many of you to manage your work-life balance and hold a second job. Porter has also decided to arbitrarily issue reserve conversion with little explanation for the change.

In recent months, Porter has shown they can give cabin crew the job improvements they deserve when they want to – and they can also take our rights away whenever they feel like it.

Without a union (and an enforceable collective agreement), anything Porter gives out today, they can take away tomorrow. That’s just the sad reality.

Employers always float wage increases and new perks when they’re under pressure from union drives, only to claw them back later.

The company has been hoping their promise of a wage bump for some employees on the former B-scale would distract from the unfair changes they’ve made to the reserve policy and increasing the length of your duty day without a comparable duty premium. WestJet flight attendants, for example, who are represented by CUPE, receive a $200 duty premium for minutes 1-60 beyond a maximum duty period and $400 for minutes 61-120 after that.

Porter talks a lot about how these new changes finally bring the company in line with industry standards. But we don’t want to simply carry on chasing industry standards – we want to set our own, and with a union, we can.

Without a union, Porter can give, but they also can (and will) take away.

With a union, Porter won’t be able to make changes to our contract or take away our hard-fought wins arbitrarily. With a union, we’ll have a strong, united voice, and an enforceable contract to protect and advance our working conditions.

Let’s show the company we’re determined to have a voice. If you haven’t already, sign your card today. Signing a union card is a two-step process: after you’ve signed up, you will also need to pay a federally-mandated $5 application which is required by the Canada Industrial Relations Board. You can now pay your fee via e-transfer to porter@cupe.ca – easy-peasy!

Ensuring the health and safety for passengers is such a central part of a flight attendant’s job. But who looks out for our health and safety at work?

The reality is that employer non-compliance with basic occupational health and safety obligations is pretty common through the airline sector – unless there’s a union pushing back to ensure employees’ health and safety is being protected.

CUPE has represented flight attendants in Canada since 1984. As Canada’s flight attendant union, CUPE has been a leading voice for the health and safety of airline workers for nearly four decades, on issues ranging from pandemic PPE to cosmic radiation monitoring, to cabin air quality, layover safety, and passenger-to-flight attendant ratios.

CUPE has a dedicated senior health and safety officer for the airline sector, who works with flight attendants across Canada to provide guidance to employers and inspectors, advocate for union members, and deliver top-of-the-line health and safety training. CUPE’s National Healthy and Safety Committee provides networking and information-sharing opportunities for workers across the country.

Consider your own experience:

• Have you been taught about your four health and safety rights at work?
• Does your employer respond quickly when you file a health and safety complaint?
• Do you have a health and safety committee at each base?
• Does your health and safety committee participate in investigations?
• Does your health and safety committee inspect your workplace, including the planes you fly on?

If you answered “no” or “I don’t know” to any of these questions, then your workplace suffers from a weak health and safety culture.

But a union can help change that culture, and ensure we make it home safe at the end of the day, and healthy at the end of our careers.

Sign your union card today to take the next step towards a safer, healthier workplace for Porter cabin crew!

As you already know, Porter has substantially reduced how and when cabin crew can trade pairings. Reserve holders and block holders can no longer trade with one another – only within their respective groups.

This means a much smaller pool to trade pairings, much less flexibility for you to alter your schedule, and a lot less freedom for all Porter cabin crew to control daily life.

The new changes limit cabin crew to three trades, swaps, or drops per bid period. If you get a bad schedule or have something come up in your life and you need to make more than three changes to your schedule? Tough luck!

These changes, combined with the other changes coming to reserve in January, will make things a lot harder for everyone – but especially those of us with another job (or jobs).

These changes don’t just affect our work life – they impact our personal life, our home life, and our work-life balance as a whole.

It’s just another example of how, without a union and a collective agreement, Porter can and will make changes that have significant negative impacts on all of us – and we get no say whatsoever.

But with a union and an enforceable contract, Porter won’t be able to make these kinds of major changes to our working conditions unilaterally. They will have to work with us.

If you’re like us and you’ve had enough, and you want a real voice and a real say at your job, sign your union card today.

And if you’ve already signed your union card, why not share this message with a few colleagues?

It’s tough for flight attendants to access affordable, healthy food away from home – especially when we’re often transiting through airports and airport hotels. It’s especially tough when inflation is rampant and Porter is only giving us $3.60/hour while we’re away from base.

We end up paying more for meals because of airport prices – even Tim Horton’s prices are jacked up at the airport. Food restrictions at international borders make it even harder to pack meals for the workday and avoid buying food in inflated US dollars.

As flight attendants, we deserve better than struggling to feed ourselves on the job.

Porter flight attendants deserve “best-in-class” working conditions, and that includes meal per diems that keep up with inflation and allow us to stay fed and healthy away from home.

With a union, we can make it happen.

Air Transat flight attendants represented by CUPE negotiated for $4.73/hour in Canada and up to $6.76/hour outside of Canada for meals (see here, page 75).

Air Canada flight attendants represented by CUPE negotiated their per diems by meal (see here, page 33), and in 2024 they’ll be receiving $17.95 for breakfast, $20.33 for lunch, $40.27 for dinner, and $10.53 for snacks. That’s up to $89 per day to cover meals – and when they’re working in the United States, those figures are paid in US dollars.

Compare that with the $3.70/hour that Porter will pay us in 2024 and it’s abundantly clear that our working conditions need to improve.

Inflation is taking its toll on our wallets but with a union, we can stand together and ensure everyone is keeping their head above-water.

Sign your union card to join CUPE today!

Last week, in a memo to cabin crew, Porter CEO Michael Deluce backtracked on his recent statement calling the FOAG “a privilege, not a right”.

Regardless of the words Mr. Deluce chooses to describe the situation, under the current arrangement at Porter, cabin crew don’t have rights – just “privileges”.

Another privilege Mr. Deluce alluded to in his recent memo to cabin crew is “regular benchmarking to ensure we continue to offer best-in-class working conditions to all our flight crew.”

“Benchmarking” is corporate jargon for picking and choosing some elements from contracts at unionized airlines based on what suits the company, and then calling it proof that Porter offers “best-in-class” working conditions.

In reality, “benchmarking” is done entirely at the company’s discretion and choosing. Far from being “best-in-class”, it’s more like doing the bare minimum.

By comparison, CUPE has a dedicated researcher for the airline sector who helps flight attendants identify and achieve the best contract language and workplace protections in the industry. And because that researcher works for union members – not the company – you can actually trust the information they give you about what’s actually “best-in-class”.

It’s clear: with a collective agreement, we can expect regular pay increases on predictable timelines. With a union, we’ll have the resources and the backing (like research, legal, and health and safety expertise) to ensure we get the contract that fits our needs and lifts up our working conditions across the board. And with a union, nothing will stop management from offering us a raise or an improvement in our working conditions, as long as we agree to it.

If you agree that rights aren’t rights when someone can just take them away, sign your card today.

Porter CEO Michael Deluce recently said during a virtual townhall that “the FOAG is a privilege, not a right.” These comments have seen a lot of Porter cabin crew asking us what the difference is between the current Flight Operations Administration Guide (FOAG) and an enforceable union contract.

Let’s just say there are many differences.

For starters, the provisions under the FOAG are voluntary for Porter – as Mr. Deluce has made pretty clear. The word “guide” is right there in the name! But with a union contract, our rights will be laid out in black and white, and the company must respect them or face consequences.

Next, the FOAG committee is made up of 13 people, but eight of them are from the management side, and only five from the employee side. The deck is already stacked against cabin crew under FOAG, but with a union, we meet our employer on a level playing field – no one can unilaterally overrule the other.

With the FOAG, Porter can make changes at any time, regardless of our feedback and our concerns that we relayed through the committee. But with a real contract, Porter won’t be able to make changes to our working conditions without our agreement.

With the FOAG, there’s a process in place to hear employee feedback – but no accountability from the company to ensure that feedback is acted upon. With a union, the company will have to meet us on an equal footing and treat our concerns seriously.

The FOAG says our industry is “dynamic in nature”, but that is exactly why cabin crew need and deserve clear rules to protect them.

The FOAG says the company’s goal is “to have the safest operation possible, and be ‘best in class’”, and we support that goal, but unfortunately, we’re not sure the company supports us. Our work conditions are not “best in class” – far from it.

Cabin crew at other airlines in Canada have best-in-class working conditions because they joined a union and achieved them through collective bargaining. We can do it too.

If you think you deserve best-in-class working conditions – and if you think the company should respect your rights at work, rather than following the rules only when they feel like it – then it’s time to sign your union card today. Contact an organizer today to sign your card.

Everyone has probably wondered, while they’re grooming an aircraft between flights, and not even getting paid to do it, whether this is the norm at other airlines in Canada.

Well, it isn’t. Porter is pretty “unique” in this sense.

At almost every other airline in Canada, grooming is the responsibility of ground crew. It’s not part of the job description for flight attendants – and certainly not one that flight attendants would be doing for free!

Porter recently announced they would be hiring outside contractors to perform grooming on certain aircraft, and on certain routes only. That’s great news for some Porter cabin crew, but it leaves just as many behind.

It’s just a baby step – one that Porter is only taking because they’re feeling the pressure of your collective effort to form a union.

And remember: there’s nothing to guarantee Porter won’t change this practice in the future because, as we know, without a legally-binding contract, anything Porter gives they can also take away.

With a union and a strong collective agreement, Porter flight attendants can level up with other flight attendants across Canada, and focus on our primary responsibility of keeping passengers safe and comfortable on their journey – not grooming.

With a union, we’ll have the power to give ourselves a greater say in what duties we perform at work, and the power to ensure we’re paid for our time at work.

If you’re ready for a greater say in your working conditions, sign your union card today.

If you’ve already signed your card, that’s awesome. Remember: signing your union card is a two-step process. After signing your membership card, the Canada Industrial Relations Board also requires a $5 payment.

 

It’s a cruel reality of the industry: some of the toughest and most important parts of a flight attendant’s job aren’t even paid. Whether it’s doing pre-flight safety checks, assisting passengers with special needs, or dealing with unruly passengers during ground delays – there is so much work that flight attendants are forced to do for free because of an unfair, outdated industry practice.

But being a flight attendant isn’t a volunteer position. In Canada, in 2023, there’s no excuse. If a flight attendant is in uniform, at work, performing work-related duties, they should be getting paid. Full stop.

CUPE’s Airline Division, representing 18,500 flight attendants at nine different airlines, has been standing together to tell the federal government and the airlines themselves that unpaid work won’t fly any more.

In fact, flight attendants represented by CUPE at PasCan have already negotiated strong language into their contract so they’re paid for boarding and delays.

CUPE’s Airline Division also launched a formal petition to the House of Commons in June, which received over 17,000 signatures, calling on the federal government to close loopholes in the Canada Labour Code that allow airlines to exploit their employees and force them to work for free. The federal government has until November 5, 2023 to issue its formal response.

The path to ending unpaid work in this industry won’t be an easy one, but it will surely be easier if we all pull together.

If we stand alone as individuals, this unfair, abusive industry practice may never end.

But with CUPE, we’ll be part of a strong group of flight attendant unions, and together we will end unpaid work in our industry.

Sign your card today to join CUPE, Canada’s flight attendant union.

You might have noticed we were briefly absent from the tunnel at YTZ over the past month. The airport authority – wrongfully – tried to prevent our team from talking to Porter cabin crew about our organizing drive and how CUPE has made life better for flight attendants across the industry. But we stood our ground, won the day – and now we’re back!

You might be wondering how can joining a union really change your day-to-day, so today we’re bringing you a “greatest hits” of CUPE’s wins for flight attendants in Canada in recent years. Take a look.

• CUPE set the standard for maximum duty day at 14 hours, with significant monetary premiums hours worked beyond 14. CUPE also set the standard for minimum crew rest home and when away from base.
• CUPE pushed back against restrictive and often discriminatory uniform and grooming policies that forced female members to wear high-heels, and barred members from having dreadlocks or visible tattoos. CUPE also won the right for members to wear henna tattoos and poppies for Remembrance Day on the job.
• At the outset of the pandemic, CUPE health and safety committees fought for and won changes to inflight service and access to proper PPE to keep members safe on the job.
• When the pandemic shook our industry, CUPE ensured thousands of furloughed members were still getting a paycheque – whether through the federal CEWS program, or through agreements to redeploy flight attendants to support immunization clinics. CUPE also ensured members who were sick or quarantined were being paid.

And there’s lots more. As members of Canada’s flight attendant union, Porter cabin crew will have the opportunity to make important changes in the workplace, and change this entire industry for the better.

If you haven’t already signed your card to join your union, go to https://porter.cupe.ca/sign-a-card/.

If there’s anything we’ve learned this past week, it’s that Porter can make changes to our working conditions whenever they want – to make them better, or worse.

By now, you’ve probably seen the news that Porter will be making significant changes to our working conditions.

We’ve already heard serious concerns from many of you about the new 24-hour reserve policy, which could make it very difficult for many of you to manage your work-life balance and hold a second job.

We also know Porter is giving cabin crew in B Scale a nice wage bump. This is great news, and it’s solid proof that our efforts to organize and form a union are already paying off – because there is no chance Porter would be making these kinds of improvements to wages if they weren’t being pressured by our drive for a union.

It also proves that Porter is more than capable of giving its employees a fair wage increase.

But here’s the catch. Without a union (and an enforceable collective agreement), anything Porter gives out today, they can take away tomorrow. That’s just the sad reality.

Employers always float wage increases and new perks when they’re under pressure from union drives, only to claw them back later.

The company is hoping their promise of a wage bump for some employees today will distract from the unfair changes they’re making to the reserve policy and increasing the length of your duty day without a comparable duty premium. WestJet flight attendants, for example, who are represented by CUPE, receive a $200 duty premium for minutes 1-60 beyond a maximum duty period and $400 for minutes 61-120 after that.

Porter talks a lot about how these new changes finally bring the company in line with industry standards. But we don’t want to simply carry on chasing industry standards – we want to set our own, and with a union, we can.

Without a union, Porter can give, but they can also take away.

With a union, Porter won’t be able to make changes to our contract or take away our hard-fought wins arbitrarily. With a union, we’ll have a strong, united voice, and an enforceable contract to protect and advance our working conditions.

Let’s show the company we’re determined to have a voice. If you haven’t already, sign your card today.

And if you have signed your card, encourage your friends and coworkers to sign theirs too!