Unpaid safety checks at heart of Air Canada labour dispute

Flight attendants would be paid for safety work in new agreement, but still less than minimum wage

As Air Canada flight attendants cast their votes on a tentative agreement, a critical issue sits at the centre of the labour dispute: the pre-flight safety checks that ensure every passenger’s well-being. For decades, these mandatory checks have been unpaid work—a practice that may now be phased out.

Safety checks as unpaid work

“Safety checks are not optional. They are a regulatory requirement, and they are the first line of defense for every passenger on board,” says Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). “Prior to the flight, we’re required to show up an hour before…and that’s typically not paid. We get paid when the plane