By now we have all heard that major changes are coming to Porter’s operations at YHZ in 2025. We know this is difficult news for YHZ-based crews, and the uncertainty it creates will be challenging for you in the coming months.
Recently, we talked about how a union can help protect you and your rights at work while Porter expands and grows, as we are seeing this year at YOW, YUL, and YVR.
The same applies when Porter shrinks its operations as well, as we are sadly seeing in 2025 at YHZ.
While Porter has said it will work with the FOAG, a union would provide more transparency throughout the process. (We’ve highlighted why the FOAG is problematic here.)
If cabin crew at Porter had a collective agreement, there would already be clear language and protocols on what happens when the airline decides to make drastic changes on a scale like this.
Instead, it feels like the company is figuring it out on the fly, announcing major changes without being able to offer answers to basic questions about seniority, moving allowances, and more.
Porter flight attendants deserve better than that. A union can help during times of uncertainty, and when airlines try to pull a fast one on their employees.
In 2008, Air Canada closed their YHZ and YWG bases. CUPE stepped up for its members at these bases. When the dust settled, jobs were protected, flight attendants could have their education expenses paid to retrain for a different career, moving costs were paid, and important contract language was created that made commuting non-punishable. CUPE also successfully secured a fund to cover commuting costs for YHZ flight attendants, at Air Canada’s expense. These are concrete examples of how CUPE stood up for flight attendants in uncertain times. Your union will do the same for you.
Having a union won’t stop Porter from being able to make business decisions. But as the people who literally keep this company in the air, flight attendants deserve a better say in how the company’s decisions affects your lives and livelihoods.
Flight attendants deserve to be involved earlier in the process to protect jobs and work constructively with the company to find solutions up front, instead of scrambling after the fact.
If you want to have the protection of a union during uncertain times – when Porter expands, and when it scales back – then sign your union card today.