Unpaid safety work spotlighted by WestJet flight attendants

WestJet flight attendants, represented by CUPE Local 8125, are launching a new campaign to highlight what they say is a persistent and troubling issue in Canada’s airline industry: unpaid safety-related work. The “Ultra Extra Basic” campaign, a play on WestJet’s fare structure, seeks to raise public and industry awareness about the lack of compensation for mandatory safety and security duties performed by flight attendants before every flight.

Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125, says the campaign aims to draw attention to the airline’s approach to employee compensation. “While WestJet is giving consumers choices on what frills they want, they’re also taking that same approach with their employees… and we’re saying that’s not okay,” Hussain says. She adds the campaign is about raising public awareness and ties directly into the broader “Unpaid Work Won’t Fly” initiative launched by CUPE’s airline division.

Unpaid safety duties and industry norms

Flight attendants at WestJet are required by Transport Canada to perform safety and security checks before every flight, a process that Hussain says accounts for between 18 and 25 hours of unpaid work each month. “It’s one hour before every single flight,” she explains, noting the work includes not only safety checks but also federally mandated security inspections to ensure the aircraft is free from tampering. “We report before every flight, every day,” Hussain says, emphasizing these hours are not reflected in their pay.

The issue extends beyond pre-flight checks. Flight attendants are also unpaid during ground delays, diversions, and any time the aircraft is on the ground with passengers on board, despite being federally required to be present for safety reasons. “We’re not being paid, but we’re federally regulated, mandated and required to be on board by Transport Canada because there’s a passenger on board,” Hussain says.

Hussain believes most Canadians are unaware of these compensation practices, in part because airlines do not want the public to know. “The company is not going to want to acknowledge this, and they most certainly don’t want our guests acknowledging this,” she claims.

The campaign also highlights the gendered nature of the issue, as flight attendants remain a predominantly female workforce. Hussain suggests this may contribute to the persistence of undervalued and underpaid work in the profession.

Health and safety leaders urged to take notice

For health and safety leaders, the campaign raises critical questions about the value placed on occupational health and safety work. Hussain argues, “any time you do anything that has an occupational health and safety aspect to it, it should likely be compensated.” She warns that failing to properly value and compensate such work can have a direct impact on morale and performance, even if professionalism remains high.

The problem is not unique to WestJet. Air Canada flight attendants have faced similar challenges, recently rejecting a tentative agreement that would have compensated pre- and post-flight safety duties at rates still below minimum wage. Both groups of flight attendants argue that the industry’s longstanding practice of only paying for in-flight hours ignores the critical safety responsibilities carried out on the ground.

The campaign further draws attention to issues around training and modified duties. Hussain notes that annual safety and first aid training is compensated at only 50% of the regular wage, and that injured flight attendants assigned to ground duties are paid half their usual wage for full-time hours. This, she says, can force employees to return to work before they are fully recovered, compounding the financial and personal strain.

CUPE’s campaign calls for an end to unpaid work in the airline industry and urges health and safety leaders to support fair compensation for all safety-critical duties. As of publication, WestJet has not responded to requests for comment.