Sunwing Flight Attendants Join Pilots to Protest Quebec City Base Closure

Flight attendants at Sunwing are pushing back against WestJet’s decision to close its base in Quebec City following the airline’s 2024 merger with Sunwing. 

Represented by CUPE 8125, the flight attendants are voicing their concerns about the closure’s impact on workers, passengers, and the broader Quebec City community.

On March 17, CUPE 8125 members joined Sunwing pilots from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) at a press conference in Quebec City, calling on WestJet to reverse its decision and maintain the crew base.

Veteran flight attendant Dominique Côté, who has worked at Sunwing for 18 years, spoke at the event.

Côté highlighted the difficult choice that the airline is imposing on workers with years of dedicated service: either relocate their families 300 km away, commute three hours to work without pay, or resign.

“Our passengers deserve to understand, and they deserve to be understood,” said Côté. 

“The fact that we can address our pasengers in French helps foster respect. Passengers trust us, so they’re more inclined to respect the guidelines, almost like they’re part of the family.”  

She cited statistics showing that incidences of non-compliance on flights out of Quebec City are nearly nonexistent, reinforcing the idea that strong crew-passenger relationships enhance safety.

“We firmly believe that the bond between crew and passengers plays a role in making it that way,” said Côté. 

Both CUPE and ALPA are urging WestJet to reconsider the base closure, arguing that Sunwing’s Quebec City operations have been a long-standing success and should be preserved. 

WestJet has yet to respond to the unions’ calls for a reversal.

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