‘All work deserves to be paid’ Bill Introduced

The Air Canada strike this summer shined a light on the flight attendant pay structure and drew a lot of attention to the issue of unpaid work hours in the industry. On Oct. 21, 2025, NDP party leader Don Davies introduced a bill into Parliament to ban the practice.

The private members bill would amend the Canada Labour Code to ensure flight attendants are paid at their full negotiated hourly rate, for all duties, including pre-flight, post-flight, and training.

“It’s not fair to expect anyone to work without pay, yet this practice has existed for years for Canadian flight attendants,” says Davies. “This is unacceptable and must end."

While the strike ended with an agreement that will introduce pay for Air Canada flight attendants for pre-flight time, other airlines continue to follow the “industry standard” of chock time (or block time) pay.  That means flight attendants are paid only from the time an aircraft starts moving until the time it comes to a stop.  

That pay structure means Canadian flight attendants aren’t paid for most work they do when the plane isn’t in motion, like safety demonstrations during boarding, pre-flight safety checks and preparation, assisting passengers with mobility issues and special needs, and tending to medical or health and safety emergencies on the ground.

“As flight attendants, we are dedicated safety professionals who go the extra mile every day. But for too long, our dedication to our work and our passengers has been taken advantage of by some of the most profitable companies in the country,” says Canadian Union of Public Employees 4091 President Natasha Stea, who stood with Davies following the introduction of the bill.  “For years, flight attendants have been expected to work for free during boarding, delays, deplaning, emergencies on the ground, and more.”

A press release from the NDP states that Canadian flight attendants work an average of 35 hours a month unpaid, and 80 percent of these workers are women.

“All work deserves to be paid, and with this bill, we are one step closer to a Canada where every worker is afforded respect and the right to be paid for every minute on the job," concludes Stea.

Related: Union Urges Federal Parties to Pledge ‘Unpaid Work Won’t Fly!’

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