Flight Attendants Paid for Duties and Delays

Summary#

This bill changes the Canada Labour Code to make sure flight attendants are paid for more of the time they work. It says airlines must count pre-flight and post-flight duties, mandatory training, and time spent at the workplace at the employer’s call (including during delays) as paid work time (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(a)-(c)). It also blocks any future order or regulation that would narrow this rule (Bill, after s.181).

• Requires pay for pre-flight safety checks and passenger boarding and deplaning (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(a)).
• Requires pay for mandatory training programs (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(b)).
• Requires pay when attendants are at the workplace at the employer’s call, including during delays beyond the employer’s control (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(c)).
• Prevents regulators from creating exemptions that limit this rule (Bill, after s.181).
• Likely increases paid hours recorded for flight attendants; exact impact depends on current practices and contracts (Data unavailable).

What it means for you#

• Households (air passengers)

  • No direct change to your rights or obligations. Any effects on fares or flight schedules are not stated in the bill. Data unavailable.

• Flight attendants (employees)

  • You must be paid for time spent on pre-flight and post-flight duties, such as cabin safety checks, security tasks, and helping passengers board and deplane (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(a)).
  • You must be paid for time spent completing mandatory training programs (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(b)).
  • If you are at the workplace at the employer’s call and at their disposal, that time counts as paid work, including during flight delays, whether or not the delay is the employer’s fault (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(c)).
  • More of your on-duty time will count toward paid hours in a day and in a week (Bill, new s.169(1.1)). This may affect when you reach standard hours under the Code. Exact pay changes depend on current agreements and schedules (Data unavailable).
  • The bill does not state a specific start date. It would take effect on coming into force.

• Airlines and air service employers (federally regulated)

  • You must include the listed duties and situations in paid time calculations for flight attendants (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(a)-(c)).
  • You cannot rely on future orders or regulations to limit this requirement (Bill, after s.181).
  • You will likely need to update timekeeping, payroll systems, and policies to track pre/post-flight work, training time, and delay time at the workplace (Bill, new s.169(1.1)).
  • Labour costs may increase if these hours were previously unpaid or paid at a reduced credit (Data unavailable).

• Unions and worker representatives

  • Collective agreements will need to align with the new minimum standard. The Code sets a floor; contracts can provide more but not less (Bill, new s.169(1.1); after s.181).
  • Grievances and bargaining may focus on defining and tracking “pre-flight,” “post-flight,” and “at the workplace at the call of the employer” time (Bill, new s.169(1.1)).

• Regulators (Labour Program)

  • Enforcement will involve verifying employer compliance with new paid time definitions. The bill bars regulations that would narrow these protections (Bill, after s.181).

Expenses#

Estimated net public cost: Data unavailable.

• No fiscal note or government appropriation is specified in the bill text. The bill sets a private-sector pay rule (Bill, new s.169(1.1); after s.181).
• Potential government administrative or enforcement costs are not detailed. Data unavailable.
• Employer payroll impacts are outside the public budget. Quantitative estimates are not provided. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Ensures flight attendants are paid for required safety and service work outside “in-flight” time, such as boarding, deplaning, and safety checks (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(a)).
• Guarantees pay for mandatory training, which employers require and benefit from (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(b)).
• Protects workers from unpaid time during delays by counting workplace delay time as paid, even when delays are beyond the employer’s control (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(c)).
• Creates a clear national baseline that cannot be weakened by future regulations or orders (Bill, after s.181).
• May lead to more accurate recording of hours in a day and week, improving compliance with standard hours under the Code (Bill, new s.169(1.1)). Magnitude depends on current practices (assumption noted).

Opponents' View#

• Could raise labour costs for airlines by increasing paid hours for pre/post-flight duties, training, and delays; this may pressure fares, routes, or staffing levels (Data unavailable; assumption noted based on expanded paid time in Bill, new s.169(1.1)(a)-(c)).
• May conflict with or require renegotiation of existing collective agreements and pay-credit systems, creating transition and bargaining costs (assumption noted).
• Ambiguous terms like “attending at the workplace at the call of the employer” may trigger disputes over what counts as paid time, requiring detailed tracking and enforcement (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(c)).
• By counting delay time even when outside the employer’s control, the bill shifts operational risk to employers and could influence scheduling buffers or contingency practices (Bill, new s.169(1.1)(c); assumption noted).
• Compliance and recordkeeping burdens will increase, as employers must capture more categories of time with precision (Bill, new s.169(1.1)).