The agreement was rejected in principle by Air Transat flight attendants

Members of the Air Transat flight attendants union rejected the agreement in principle reached between their representatives and the employer on December 14.

The decision was almost unanimous. At least 98.1% of participants in the vote held from 20 to 23 December decided that the new employment contract was not up to standards.

“Insufficient salary increases, linked to the cost of living and stagnant wages,” will be the main reason for the rejection of 2,100 members associated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

“Air Transat flight attendants clearly told us that this agreement would not have succeeded in reducing the suffering and financial insecurity they experience on a daily basis,” explains the head of the Air Transat component of CUPE, Dominique Levasseur, in a press release.

The issue of unpaid work while boarding and waiting at the airport is also a major issue in the current negotiations.

A hit is possible

Air Transat and the union now plan to resume negotiations starting Wednesday.

“Given the intense discontent among members, it will always be possible for the union to give notice of strike,” warns the organization representing the workers. If such measures are activated, all company flights will be cancelled.

On November 27, flight attendants at Montreal (YUL) and Toronto (YYZ) airports received a 99.8% strike rate, the highest score in the history of the Air Transat component of CUPE.

Their collective agreement expired more than a year ago.