Air Transat flight attendants lend the company a helping hand
13 juin 2012
Montreal,
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 – After a series of general
assemblies held across the country, 83% of Air Transat flight
attendants voted in favour of a plan to help their employer. The
“plan to return to
profitability” temporarily freezes all cost-of-living wage
increases. Precisely, the union, representing approximately 1,800
flight attendants, agrees to suspend the payments of three annual
wage increases of 1%, as well as the payment of a lump sum of 1,5%.
The company agrees to catch up on all salary increases and pay back
the money owed by December 15, 2015 at the latest. This helping
hand from flight attendants can be compared to a three-year loan.
“We have
given our members the full picture of the situation, and have
thoroughly discussed with them on Transat’s proposal. The flight
attendants have decided by a strong majority that this plan speaks
to the best interests of everyone involved. Today, members of our
union are showing support for their employer and faith in its
future,” said Peter Buzzell, president of the Air Transat
Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
From June 1-12, the Component presented the plan to its membership
by holding two general assemblies in each of the company’s three
flight attendant bases: Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
On May 1st, Air Transat and the union representing its pilots
agreed to a similar plan.
The flight attendants’ current collective agreement is legally
binding from November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2015.
Air Transat flight attendants are emergency specialists whose
primary role is to ensure passenger safety. They are divided into
three local unions corresponding to their three bases: CUPE 4041
(Montreal-YUL), CUPE 4047 (Toronto-YYZ) and CUPE 4078
(Vancouver-YVR). The Air Transat Component oversees these three
local unions.
CUPE is Canada’s largest airline union, representing nearly 10,000
flight attendants at carriers including: Air Canada, Air Transat,
CanJet, First Air, Cathay Pacific, CALM Air, Canadian North and
Sunwing.
CUPE is the largest union in Canada with 615,000 members working in
health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities,
social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency
services, communications and airlines.
