Why Flight Attendants Went 50 Years Without Ground Pay

(CANADA) Flight attendants’ decades-long fight over unpaid time on the ground reached a breaking point this summer as more than 10,500 Air Canada cabin crew walked off the job, grounding flights across the country and forcing federal intervention.

The Air Canada strike began on August 16, 2025, centered on the industry’s reliance on block time—pay that starts only when the aircraft leaves the gate and stops when it docks at the next gate—leaving boarding, deplaning, and long delays unpaid. A tentative deal followed on August 19, though it still awaits a member vote. Union leaders say the core issue of ground pay remains central to ratification.

Union claims and demands

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents Air Canada flight attendants, argues that when unpaid ground duties are factored in, many cabin crew earn less than Canada’s minimum wage during busy travel days.

CUPE has pressed for full pay for all hours worked, including:
– Safety checks
– Boarding and assisting with carry-ons
– Handling disruptions and delay-related duties

The union frames ground duties as essential, not optional, and focuses its messaging on fairness and the sustainability of the job. For official updates, CUPE maintains a public hub at CUPE.

Government response and legal channels

The walkout prompted swift government action. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu moved to binding arbitration and issued a return-to-work order, underscoring the national importance of keeping air travel running.

• The union initially defied the return-to-work order, reflecting intense member frustration after years of unpaid tasks that have lengthened as planes fill and delays mount.
• The federal body that oversees labour relations in federally regulated workplaces, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, remains the key venue for further rulings.
• Canadians can track binding decisions and related documents at that official channel.

Why ground pay became the flashpoint

For more than half a century in North America, airlines have based compensation on block time, excluding most ground-based work passengers see and rely on.

• The practice solidified when employers had greater leverage and hardened during downturns (after 9/11 and the Great Recession).
• Labor researchers say cabin crew lost bargaining power during those years while airlines kept tight control over costs.
• The result: a pay system that rewards time in motion while ignoring a large portion of required work.

After the pandemic, pressure grew as carriers returned to profit and traveler volumes rebounded. Crews faced:
– Longer boarding lines
– Fuller cabins and more carry-on bags (driven by fee policies)
– Increased customer care and conflict management, especially during delays

Many attendants report spending hours at the gate doing safety-critical tasks and helping families, yet they see no pay changes until the aircraft door closes. CUPE argues that including those ground minutes in pay calculations often results in an effective hourly rate well below the posted wage, a claim that resonated as stories spread of attendants’ pay not matching time worked.

Air Canada has historically resisted pay for ground tasks, citing industry norms and financial pressures, while saying it is committed to bargaining in good faith and posting service notices for travellers at Air Canada.

U.S. and Canadian shifts that reset expectations

Across the border, the ground-pay status quo began to crack:

• 2022: Delta became the first large U.S. carrier to add partial pay for boarding time.
• 2024–2025: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines followed with boarding pay in various negotiations.

Within Canada, some regional carriers already pay boarding time:
– Porter Airlines
– Pascan Aviation

These precedents showed that compensating ground duties is workable domestically and gave CUPE leverage when highlighting pay gaps. Policy watchers say once large companies accept boarding pay, it starts to look like a minimum standard, prompting parity demands across carriers. VisaVerge.com reports that U.S. boarding-pay policies are likely to shape expectations in Canada as transborder competition for cabin crew grows.

What’s at stake for workers and travelers

The dispute affects more than pay:

• Staffing levels and retention: Eroding effective hourly pay drives entry-level attendants away, increasing turnover.
• Safety culture: Fewer experienced staff and last-minute cancellations create pressure on remaining crews.
• Passenger experience: Stable staffing reduces delays and improves service during boarding and disruptions.

Core tasks at issue—securing bins, briefing families, assisting elderly or mobility-impaired travellers, routine safety checks, and managing gate changes—happen in full view of passengers. Under a pure block time system, much of that work remains unpaid, creating a mismatch between public perception and pay practices.

CUPE’s position is straightforward: pay for all hours worked. Airlines counter that the entire pay package (including per diems and other elements) should be considered. As more U.S. carriers adopt boarding pay, analysts expect unions to push to codify those gains into future contracts.

Government’s role and the path ahead

Ottawa’s use of binding arbitration in August signals the federal government views air travel as essential and has legal tools to step in when stoppages threaten the broader economy.

• Details of any Air Canada settlement remain confidential until ratified.
• If the tentative deal recognizes ground pay—even partially—it could set a template for other Canadian carriers.
• If it does not, CUPE will likely return to the issue in the next bargaining cycle.

The 2025 Air Canada strike has made pay for ground duties a mainstream topic. Cross-border labour dynamics matter: the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA posts bargaining updates and policy guides at AFA-CWA, and contract terms on one side of the border can influence expectations on the other.

Practical implications and typical “turn” example

Consider a typical turn to understand the unpaid work:
1. Attendants arrive early and complete safety checks.
2. They prepare the cabin and begin boarding.
3. They assist with strollers, mobility aids, and seat swaps.
4. If delays occur, they continue working at the gate or onboard with the door open—still unpaid under block time.
5. Only when the door closes and the aircraft pushes back does the pay clock start.
6. At destination, they assist with deplaning and tight connections—often unpaid again.

With high load factors, boarding can stretch and ground delays can run long, producing longer workdays without matching pay for staff and lower labour costs for airlines. The central question: where should the pay line be drawn now that profits have returned and customer expectations have risen?

Key takeaways and where to follow updates

• CUPE pushes for full pay for all mandatory work; airlines stress total compensation packages.
• Several U.S. carriers and some Canadian regionals have already moved toward boarding pay, shifting the bargaining landscape.
• The member vote on the tentative Air Canada deal will be pivotal in determining whether Canada’s largest carrier joins this shift.

Follow these sources for ongoing updates:
– Union statements: CUPE
– Air Canada operational updates and rebooking: Air Canada
– Official labour rulings and filings: Canada Industrial Relations Board
– Cross-border labour news and organizing: AFA-CWA

Important: Travelers planning fall trips should watch airline advisories while the tentative deal moves to a vote. The member decision in the coming weeks will signal whether ground-pay recognition becomes a durable change or prompts further conflict.