The Air Transat Flight Attendants Union denounces the Trudeau government's inertia in its management of border mobility

MONTREAL, Feb. 10, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - After Tourisme Montréal, the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain, the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec, Transat A.T and WestJet, Air Transat flight attendants' union, representing more than 2,000 members, supports the demands for a partial lifting of the sanitary restrictions imposed on the airline industry in Quebec and in Canada.

"The airline sector is without a doubt one of the most restricted by federal public health regulations. Our members and passengers must be vaccinated, PCR tests are required before boarding a flight and a test is required upon arrival in Canada. These measures are extremely costly for travellers as well as for the government. If these measures are not eased out soon, hundreds of jobs are at risk in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The government's management of our borders must be strongly challenged," says Dominic Levasseur, president of Air Transat Flight Attendant Union.

On top of the restrictions, hundreds of millions of dollars of public money are being granted to private testing companies when these funds could be allocated to the healthcare system and to the airline and tourism sector, which are in desperate need.

"We ask our governments to act quickly to reduce sanitary restrictions at our borders. These excessive measures are strangling Canadian companies like Air Transat! Our demands are simple, we must facilitate the relaunch of our industry," ads the president.

"Mr. Legault and Mr. Trudeau, help us!"

To this day, more than 60% of Air Transat flight attendants are still laid off.

With more than 125,000 members in Quebec, CUPE represents some 1,650 members in the Quebec airline industry, including cabin crew at Air Canada, Air Transat and Sunwing.

SOURCE Canadian Union of Public Employees (FTQ)

Information: Dominic Levasseur, President of Air Transat' Flight Attendant Union, 514 291-1194; Lisa Djevahirdjian, service des communications, 514 831-3815