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Yesterday, Porter distributed a memo announcing “we will be the first Canadian airline to introduce Pay for Boarding for Cabin Crew, effective January 1, 2025.” Unfortunately, that is not correct. But we are happy to set the record straight!

Cabin crew at Pascan Aviation – who are unionized with CUPE – were actually the first to enjoy paid boarding when they negotiated it into their very first contract after unionizing in 2022.

While Porter is only promising to pay cabin crew for a part for boarding, Pascan flight attendants get their full rate for a full hour for boarding. Pascan flight attendants also negotiated full pay for other ground duties and training.

So, in reality, Porter will not be the first airline to offer Pay for Boarding, and their offer falls far short of the Pay for Boarding that unionized flight attendants already enjoy.

And as you might have noticed, Air Canada flight attendants unionized with CUPE are currently campaigning for full rate of pay for all hours worked in their negotiations that just got under way.

It’s clear: with a union, we will have real power to end the rampant abuse of unpaid work, not just at Porter but across our entire industry.

Meanwhile, it isn’t even clear how this policy will work. Is it full-pay for half an hour? Or is it half-pay for half an hour – in other words, 15 minutes of our regular pay? At the moment, no one seems to know.

But we know one thing: boarding doesn’t take 15 minutes and we are lucky if it only takes 30. Half-pay is just another half-measure, and we are worth more than that.

We can do better than half-measures – and we will, once we have our union.

If you’re ready for the real thing, sign your union card today!

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.

Sign your union card to join CUPE today!

Being a flight attendant and maintaining a polished, professional look on the go can be tough. We’ve heard reports recently of the company cracking down on CTTs over strict uniform standards.

Another thing we’ve heard: Porter cabin crew are getting tired of the crackdowns and the lack of support. Our jobs are tough enough as it is.

But with a union, we’ll get the support we need and deserve in order to look our best on the job.

Flight attendants unionized with CUPE have benefited from those supports in negotiating their contracts.

• Air Canada flight attendants negotiated a yearly allowance of $120 per year for footwear, as well as a monthly dry-cleaning allowance of $45.
• Sunwing and Air Transat flight attendants negotiated a flat $85 per month allowance for dry-cleaning and footwear.
• Calm Air flight attendants have all dry-cleaning paid by their airline, along with a $300 footwear allowance per year.

Porter cabin crew can and will determine what’s best for us when the time comes – but this gives you an idea of the support we’ll get with a union backing us.

CUPE also has a long and proud history of fighting discriminatory and unreasonable uniform policies in the airline industry. Most recently, CUPE fought for and won the right of flight attendants to have visible tattoos and piercings on the job.

If you’re ready for better uniform supports, sign your union card today!

Being on the low end of the pay scale as a flight attendant isn’t easy. But a union can help you get ahead.

Even with the latest changes to the pay scale, most junior cabin crew at Porter are only making $30 per hour in 2025. Meanwhile, entry level flight attendants unionized with CUPE at Air Transat, for example, are earning $39.21 per hour. That’s a big difference – and that’s the difference that a union-negotiated contract can make!

Isn’t it a bit odd that Porter shares routes with Air Transat, but non-unionized Porter cabin crew are earning $9.21 – or about 24 per cent – less per hour than unionized Air Transat flight attendants?

Unionized workers, on average, earn 28% more than non-unionized workers in the same field. Young workers who belong to a union earn $5.48 more per hour than their non-unionized counterparts, on average.

Being part of a union is about making progress for everyone – and at Porter, it’s clear that we have so much to gain with a union backing us up.

Sign your union card today to help all cabin crew – but especially the juniors – get ahead.

Being part of a strong union means being able to negotiate better contracts. It also means being able to advocate to change the law and improve our industry and our profession as a whole.

As Canada’s flight attendant union, CUPE is celebrating the introduction of Bill C-415, the Flight Attendant Remuneration Act, in the House of Commons. The legislation from NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo will ban the practice of forcing flight attendants to perform hours of pre-flight, post-flight, and training duties without pay.

Bill C-415 will require airlines to pay flight attendants their full rate for all hours worked.

Click here to tell your Member of Parliament to support Bill C-415.

The bill comes after significant input and consultation with CUPE’s Airline Division. As Carolyn Bugnon, President of CUPE Local 4094 representing Air Canada flight attendants based in Vancouver, said: “This bill is the bill that flight attendants wanted, and we are grateful to Bonita and the NDP for working with us as partners to develop this legislation.”

The legislation is the direct result of CUPE’s Airline Division’s Unpaid Work Won’t Fly campaign, which kicked off with a national day of action in April 2023, and a lobby day on Parliament Hill in May 2024.

Bill C-415 is a testament to the power of collective action by CUPE flight attendants who work at airlines big and small all across Canada. When flight attendants work together, and stand united, we can move mountains!

Click here to show your support for Bill C-415 by signing a letter to your MP.

And if you’re ready to grow your voice at work and in the halls of power, sign your union card today!

As our drive to form our union for cabin crew picks up steam, it’s no surprise we’re getting more attention from management.

Management has been trying to fearmonger about “the union” as if the union were a third party. In reality, the union is us – the cabin crew who keep this airline flying.

The union is not some scary outside entity; it’s made up of your coworkers and friends. It’s made up of cabin crew who are acknowledging, one by one, that a better life is possible when we work together to achieve it.

In short, the union is you!

And as a member in a union like CUPE, you are in control.

You set your priorities for negotiating your contract.

You elect your local representatives to represent you in negotiations.

You vote on how much your union dues will be.

And along the way, you have the support and resources from Canada’s flight attendant union to help you negotiate the contract you need and deserve.

CUPE represents 18,500 flight attendants at ten different airlines. With CUPE’s support, we will have the expertise and support we need to bargain a better contract and a better life for Porter cabin crew.

If you’re ready to take the next step, sign your union card today.

For forty years, flight attendants in Canada have had CUPE backing them up, and helping this industry succeed. We want Porter to be successful because we love our jobs – but we know there are so many ways our jobs need to improve. We also know that management will never give us those improvements of their own volition. We need to work together to make them a reality.

We disagree with a recent memo from management that characterized our effort to organize a union with our coworkers as “spreading negativity”. As Porter cabin crew, we think working together for a better deal at work is a positive thing. We think working together to get the respect and better wages we deserve at work is a positive thing. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead to make positive changes at our jobs. And we’re going to keep up our efforts until that goal becomes a reality.

It’s not surprising that the company isn’t thrilled that every week, more and more Porter cabin crew are signing their union card. When we have our union, the company won’t be pulling all the strings anymore. They won’t be able to make arbitrary changes to our working conditions. They will have to negotiate a fair wage, better per diems, and better benefits. They will have to play by the rules that both parties agree to. They’ve never had to do that before and it makes them uncomfortable.

The company says that cabin crew forming their own union doesn’t guarantee anything. But flight attendants at other airlines who unionized with CUPE enjoy industry-leading wages, per diems that actually keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of living, better benefits, predictable schedules, and working conditions that don’t change overnight on a whim. We will let you draw your own conclusions about what you can expect once Porter cabin crew have a union 😊

In the meantime, if you haven’t already signed your union card, do it today. And if you have, why not encourage a friend to signs theirs?

“We’ve heard from a number of you that there isn’t a clear process in place where you can resolve issues and get answers.” Those were the words from Porter’s director of in-flight services to cabin crew yesterday – and sadly, we have to agree.

This acknowledgement from management also reflects how many cabin crew feel every time Porter makes changes to our work rules that make our jobs worse. And to be honest, that seems to be happening a lot these days!

Now, having a voice through FOAG is better than having no voice at all. But every day, more and more cabin crew are seeing that our voice could be so much stronger. We’re seeing that our jobs could be so much better if we take the next step, and upgrade from FOAG to a real union with a real voice and real power to make positive changes and defend our rights.

FOAG is an important channel for conveying our concerns to management. But without a clear process for resolving issues – and without any real teeth – the company will always be free to ignore our concerns, deny us answers, and make big changes without our input.

With a union, the company will have to come to us first before they make these kinds of changes to our working conditions, and they’ll be accountable for their decisions to us through the union. Of course, with a union, we would never refuse changes that make our jobs better. But having a union will give us the power to demand clear answers, or say no when the company tries to make changes that make our jobs worse.

The difference is clear. If you’re ready to upgrade from FOAG to a real union, sign your union card today.

“We know that the aviation industry is ever-changing…but our work agreement doesn’t have to be! I love my job. That’s why I want Porter to unionize. I’m proud of the work that we do, and the safety and service we provide. There are many reasons why most major airlines have the security of a union behind them. With a union, we can protect what we have, rally for what we want, and create a solid, binding agreement that benefits us as cabin crew. The conversations are already happening. We deserve a seat at the table!” – Kate, YYZ

Flight attendants need more consistency in their day-to-day, not less. But unfortunately, without a union-negotiated contract, Porter can (and does) bend the rules as they please, and it’s cabin crew who lose out as a result.

Kate at YYZ and hundreds of other Porter cabin crew have already signed their union cards, and taken the first step toward building a more consistent and fair work environment for everyone.

If you’re ready to have more control and more consistency in your schedule, sign your union card today!

“I want a union so we can have a real voice in negotiating a real contract that won’t suddenly change without our agreement. We love our jobs and take pride in the high standard of service we provide. We owe it to ourselves to protect what we have and continue improving our our salaries, work rules and benefits. There is strength in unity. Let’s unionize and make our jobs even better – together!” – Cole, YHZ

Joining a union is a powerful opportunity to take a good thing and make it even better.

As Cole from YHZ points out, there is strength in unity, and when cabin crew at Porter work together, they can solidify their achievements in a binding contract, and keep working to improve their jobs through collective bargaining.

If you’re ready to work together to make our jobs even better, then sign your union card today!