Better working conditions can make air travel a smoother ride

Canadians may be starting to make summer plans, but many worry about less-than-ideal travel experiences. Aviation workers and travellers alike continue to navigate the daily headaches of operational problems, lost baggage, maintenance issues, distraught and belligerent passengers, and the chaos often associated with air travel today. Add the long wait times to speak to someone for assistance, a shortage of air-traffic-control and flight-services personnel, and we have a perfect storm for a poor travel experience. And let’s be clear: it is not the fault of the workers who are left to pick up the pieces of a tangled system of airport authorities, airlines, and regulators who seem to have forgotten that air travel is an important service for Canadians and there are remedies. The federal government introduced some solutions such as the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), which became law in 2019 and was beefed up last year. But the key to smoother air travel is to improve the working conditions of those in the air-transportation industry to ensure airlines and airports can meet the expectations set by these regulations. Unifor has already cleared the runway for how that can be done through our Air Transportation Workers’ Charter of Rights. The government would do well to implement these standards instead of focusing on Band-Aid solutions. Lana Payne is national president of Unifor. Photograph courtesy of Lana Payne Workers and travelling Canadians lose out because of contract flipping within the industry and airports. This is a practice the government can easily avoid by implementing full successor rights for workers, and by limiting the number of ground-handling companies that can operate at an airport. Companies may be trying to reduce costs, but the costs of leaving passengers without their luggage contribute to negative air-travel experiences. It can also result in delayed flights costing the industry, too. Our union’s charter—informed by the voices of workers in many facets of air travel—recommends airport authorities implement a living wage throughout the airport. In the middle of an affordability crisis, lifting the floor for workers through fair pay across all job categories is essential. Companies need to prioritize fair scheduling and high-quality training. They must hire and schedule enough workers to perform the work that is required, and recognize that technology is often not the miracle fix that developers suggest it is. Airlines need to create the conditions to reduce and eliminate harassment by easing the tension and frustration for passengers instead of creating a pressure cooker. To address some of these issues, the federal government has so far opted for fines and refunds. A rebate is not the answer, nor is it much of a consolation prize for cancelled flights, long wait times, and missed meetings or family events. The challenges are across the board, including in air traffic control, flight scheduling, and aircraft maintenance. The challenges show up in baggage handling, catering, and airport services. They are in the chatbot that promises quick and easy experiences, but always leaves you unsatisfied. By September 2023, the Canada Transport Agency was still facing a backlog of 57,000 complaints through the APPR complaint process. Working conditions and travel conditions are intricately linked. Given the current state of job quality in the industry, it should be no surprise that travellers are facing subpar conditions. When workers don’t have the tools or resources needed to do the work effectively, everyone suffers. By failing to improve working conditions, airlines, airports, and government are guaranteeing that the industry cannot meet the needs of passengers. Let’s not forget the working conditions of aviation workers are your travel conditions. It’s time to get our aviation industry working for everyone—workers and travellers. Lana Payne was elected Unifor national president in 2022, becoming the first woman to hold this leadership office. Before her election, Payne served the union as secretary-treasurer from 2019-2022. Payne brings three decades of inspired leadership fighting for workers. The Hill Times