Air Canada Provides Clarity on its Offer to CUPE
MONTREAL, August 14, 2025 – Air Canada today clarified commentary that has been made publicly about its offer to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) representing 10,000 flight attendants at the airline. Under the proposal, which seeks no concessions, there is a 38 per cent increase in total compensation over four years and:
- A new provision for ground pay that is industry leading in Canada.
- Hourly rates would go as high as $94 an hour in the first year.
- Hourly pay would increase by 12-to-16 per cent in the first year. This consists of a combined eight per cent increase in the hourly wage plus another four-to-eight per cent increase through a new ground pay formula in the first year alone.
- By 2027, senior flight attendants would earn $87,000 annually on average, and 20 per cent of flight attendants would earn $90,000 or more a year.
- There would be significant improvements to health benefits and pension plans, including the legacy Defined Benefit pension plan. Air Canada is the only airline in the country to offer its flight attendants access to a pension that includes a defined benefit component.
- Meaningful quality of life improvements, including an increase to paid vacation, and measures to address union concerns about rest and work-life balance. This includes changes to crew complement on aircraft to reduce inflight workloads.
- It will make Air Canada Flight Attendants the best compensated in Canada. Already, cabin crew earn up to $17 more per hour than their counterparts at the company’s largest domestic competitor.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada’s TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.
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