Air Transat flight attendants say yes for the third time

People look on as an Air Transat plane takes off at Trudeau in Montreal, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

Sixty-three per cent of Air Transat flight attendants in Montreal and Toronto have finally accepted the mediators' recommendation to renew their collective agreement.

It took three attempts to reach this settlement. As a result, they become "the best paid in the industry," according to their union.

The agreement affects 2,100 Air Transat flight attendants based at the Montreal and Toronto airports, who are members of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) locals.

An initial agreement in principle was reached in mid-December under the threat of strike action in early January, but this was rejected by the members without strike action.

The parties returned to the negotiating table in early January and reached a second agreement in principle on Jan. 7. This was again rejected by the members at general meetings.

This time, the 2,100 flight attendants were not asked to vote on an agreement in principle but on the mediators' recommendation. And they ratified it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 26, 2024.