Air Transat, Cabin Crew Union Reach Tentative Agreement

DALLAS — Air Transat (TS) has reached a tentative collective agreement with CUPE, the union representing its flight attendants.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has confirmed a tentative new agreement in a statement dated January 8, 2024. The new offer comes after five days of discussions between the airline and the union. The terms of the latest offer have not yet been released. Both CUPE and Air Transat are unable to elaborate on details until members have taken a vote.

The airline has said it is pleased to have reached an agreement that it hopes its flight attendants will accept. Julie Lamontagne, chief people, communications, and sustainability officer at the airline, said, “We are happy to have concluded a new tentative agreement that satisfies both parties and that will enable Air Transat to remain competitive."

CUPE represents 2,100 TS flight attendants based in Montreal and Toronto. The airline's component is part of CUPE’s Airline Division, which represents more than 18,500 flight attendants at various carriers, including TS, Air Canada Rouge (RV), Sunwing (WG), WestJet (WS), Encore (WR), Calm Air (MO), Canadian North (5T), Pivot Airlines (ZX), PAL (PB) and Pascan Aviation (P6).

Previous Air Transat Agreements

Air Transat’s flight attendants’ collective agreement expired well over a year ago, on October 31, 2022. Negotiations between CUPE and employers started on April 27, 2023, with TS cabin crew adopting a strike mandate through an almost unanimous vote on November 27, last year. The 99.8 percent vote to strike by almost all CUPE members at Air Transat represents “the highest tally in the history of CUPE’s Air Transat component,” CUPE said.

Another agreement was reached on December 14, 2023, but again, the airline’s CUPE members rejected this. Its flight attendants voted 98.1 percent against the agreement. It is hoped that TS’ latest offer will meet the needs and expectations of its employees. “We are confident that this new offer will meet our flight attendants’ expectations and will adequately reflect their interests,” said Lamontagne.

The Canadian airline based in Montreal (YMQ) was founded in 1986. From its hub in Montréal’s Trudeau International Airport (YUL), TS operates scheduled and charter flights serving 60 destinations in 25 countries.

Featured image: Air Transat C-GTKS Airbus A330-342. Photo: Tony Bordelais/Airways