The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) issued the following letter to Wesley Lesosky, President, Air Canada Component of CUPE on August 13, 2025. Download the letter here.
Dear President Lesosky,
One million workers have CUPE Air Canada flight attendants’ back
The Air Canada Component of CUPE, representing over 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, keeps millions of passengers safe, comfortable, and moving, yet the airline expects them to give 35 hours of unpaid labour every month. That is corporate wage theft. It is unfair, un-Canadian, and unacceptable.
Air Canada promotes itself as a national symbol and a representation of Canadian values. Undervaluing the workers who keep passengers safe, and the airline running is not one of those values.
Workers, families, and communities across Ontario rely on your members’ service. They are responsible for passenger safety, comfort, and the ability to connect across this country. The Ontario Federation of Labour, joined by our 54 affiliates representing one million workers, fully supports the Air Canada Component of CUPE in this fight for fairness. Flight attendants’ demand for respect and fair compensation is shared across the entire labour movement.
Every duty these workers perform, from boarding and pre-flight safety checks, to managing delays and deplaning, is essential and must be compensated. Anything less devalues their skill, professionalism, and dedication.
As a united labour movement, we will make sure flight attendants never give Air Canada another unpaid hour. If this airline refuses to meet their demands, it should be ready to face our 54 unions and one million workers across Ontario watching every move at the bargaining table, ready to take action in our communities and on every picket line until a fair deal is reached.
We are proud to share your campaign at unfaircanada.com and will urge our members to take action in your support.
We know it is your members who make Air Canada a national symbol through their skill, dedication, and commitment to safety and service. Together, we will ensure this ends with a contract that reflects the true value of their work and their critical role in Canada’s air travel system.
In solidarity,
Laura Walton
President, Ontario Federation of Labour
