The situation with per diems at Porter has gone from bad to worse. Far too many cabin crew already rely on meal per diems to meet their monthly expenses. The company has been making and breaking promises to match our per diems to US exchange rates for years. Per diem rates themselves haven’t gone up in years, even though inflation has sent the cost of food and incidentals through the roof.
All of this is literally eating into our take-home pay every month. But a union can help.
It’s difficult to find affordable, healthy food away from home – especially when we’re often transiting through airports and airport hotels. It’s especially tough when prices have skyrocketed and our company is offering us the same meal per diem they did long before inflation went sky-high.
We end up paying more for meals because of airport prices – even Tim Horton’s prices are jacked up at the airport. Food restrictions at international borders make it even harder to pack meals for the workday and avoid buying food in inflated US dollars.
We deserve better than struggling just to feed ourselves on the job. Porter flight attendants deserve “best-in-class” working conditions, and that includes meal per diems that keep up with inflation and allow us to stay fed and healthy away from home.
With a union, we can make it happen.
Air Transat flight attendants represented by CUPE negotiated for $5.23/hour in Canada and up to $7.62/hour outside of Canada for meals. That’s more than double what Porter is giving us right now.
Air Canada flight attendants represented by CUPE negotiated their per diems by meal, and are receiving $17.95 for breakfast, $20.33 for lunch, $40.27 for dinner, and $10.53 for snacks. And when they’re working in the United States, those figures are paid in US dollars.
Compare that with the $3.70/hour that Porter is paying us and it’s abundantly clear that we have a lot of ground to make up.
Inflation has taken its toll on our wallets but with a union, we can ensure everyone is keeping their head above-water.