Air Canada has unofficially floated a compensation package for flight attendants consisting of a 32.5% increase over four years, according to Bloomberg. The offer—which remains unconfirmed by either the airline or the union—is said to also include enhanced benefits and bonuses, with about 20% of the increase proposed for the contract’s first year.
The union, representing AC mainline and Rouge flight attendants, recently voted 99.7% in favour of strike action, setting the stage for a legal walkout as early as 16AUG if no deal is reached.
While the figure of a 32.5% raise—including new ground duty pay—is in circulation, with Open Jaw receiving unconfirmed reports of its legitimacy, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) maintains it has not yet been formally tabled by Air Canada.
"We’re waiting for the company to bring any such proposal directly to negotiations. As of now, nothing has been tabled," said Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Air Canada component, in recent statements to the media.
Negotiations, which resumed after the union concluded its overwhelming strike vote, remain focused on long-standing issues: low wages, unpaid ground duties, and concerns over purchasing power that has lagged inflation. Currently, attendants are only paid while the aircraft is in motion, a compensation model now under heightened scrutiny as major US airlines move to pay crews for preflight boarding and other ground activities.
Air Canada has acknowledged the strike mandate and signaled its commitment to reaching a settlement, emphasizing there is "more than enough time" to find common ground before any potential work stoppage. Both sides indicate a preference for negotiation over disruption.
Insiders speculate the leak of a 32.5% offer to Bloomberg may be part of an unofficial negotiation tactic as well as a public relations move by the carrier to garner support. There is no question the ’unpaid’ campaign by Air Canada flight attendants has received consumer sympathy on social media and has not reflected well on the airline.
As the August strike deadline approaches, the union warns that only a concrete, tabled proposal addressing wage and working conditions will suffice, while the airline hopes to avoid the wide-ranging disruption a strike could cause for summer travellers. The impact on travel agencies inundated with rebooking requests would be devastating.
