Canadian politics thread

[hud 91gt]

Really disheartening to see the government step in on the AC FA fiasco. No matter whether you think they should be paid or not, collective bargaining is dead if corporations can expect this over and over again.

Sitting on the other side of the door, I also don’t get paid until we are moving but it’s easier
to stomach making above average wages, not dealing face to face with angry passengers when delays happen. It all evens out in the end. For a new hire FA, wages really are pitiful, and delays can extend your month drastically especially domestically when doing so many legs. It truly takes decades to get that nicer lifestyle.

Rumbles in the group chats show the chair of the CIRB (who will be making the decision whether today’s order was correct or not) worked for AC for years in the legal department with the current head honcho’s. Who doesn’t love a little conflict of interest.

[CivicBlues]

Devli's advocate here, but if wages for entry level FAs are so pitiful, wouldn't the market just adjust eventually? Why isn't AC just getting zero applicants for entry level positions? I mean who is going into these roles nowadays if you can't even survive of the wages? Young women living with their parents who love to travel?

[hud 91gt]

You don’t get to live with your parents. You don’t get a choice of base when you start, you live in one of the several most expensive cities in the Canada and must be able to be at work within a certain time frame (on call/reserve). Some live in “crash pads” full time (weird commuter apartments talked about earlier). I know of a couple who live in their van in the parking lot, waiting for a pairing so they can have a decent night rest.

The glamour is in the travel for them, but that wears off. Vancouver use to be a very senior base (it is in the senior ranks), but it a very junior base in starting ranks due to living costs and poor wages, so that’s where the new people end up this last decade at least.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

Devli's advocate here, but if wages for entry level FAs are so pitiful, wouldn't the market just adjust eventually? Why isn't AC just getting zero applicants for entry level positions? I mean who is going into these roles nowadays if you can't even survive of the wages? Young women living with their parents who love to travel?

I largely agree with this in the isolated view that wages should reflect supply and demand - if there are people willing to work for some shitty salary then that's just business and tough shit for the workers.

OTOH, there's some salary floor for working people where they make so little that they actually end up affecting the rest of society - the example that's often brought up is that a lot of Walmart workers in the US end up needing food stamps and other gov't handouts in order to make ends meet. Effectively Walmart is being subsidised by the gov't and that's not ok in my books and I don't know how that'd be ok for folks on any side of the political spectrum.

There's some minimum wage level that all workers need to be paid so they can live reasonably especially for jobs that can be careers. I don't know how to create a min wage that works across all industries and all demographics (like how do you account for being young and living with your parents in a cheap city vs living on your own in a HCOL city) but there's some floor where working full time gets you enough income to not need gov't support (in most cases).

From what I can gather Westjet and AC both (and maybe Porter?) pay below minimum wage due to various loopholes - they should be forced to pay at least legislated minimum wages. We forced Uber and Doordash to close that loophole last year for their delivery drivers so we should be able to force airlines to do the same thing.

[Jason00S2000]

The obvious next play here are new aircraft designs with self-serve in-flight meals and service handled by AI and robots. Boom. Imagine the money saved by that airline.

[hud 91gt]

Service is secondary (obviously :P ). They are required for safety reasons and nothing else.

[Jason00S2000]

Originally Posted by hud 91gt

They are required for safety reasons and nothing else.

The airframe should have a detachable passenger section with parachutes in case of emergency, the technology is there for such a thing. Just need a couple of shitty robots to assist passengers instead of annoying fleshbags.

[noclue]

Originally Posted by supafamous

I largely agree with this in the isolated view that wages should reflect supply and demand - if there are people willing to work for some shitty salary then that's just business and tough shit for the workers.

OTOH, there's some salary floor for working people where they make so little that they actually end up affecting the rest of society - the example that's often brought up is that a lot of Walmart workers in the US end up needing food stamps and other gov't handouts in order to make ends meet. Effectively Walmart is being subsidised by the gov't and that's not ok in my books and I don't know how that'd be ok for folks on any side of the political spectrum.

There's some minimum wage level that all workers need to be paid so they can live reasonably especially for jobs that can be careers. I don't know how to create a min wage that works across all industries and all demographics (like how do you account for being young and living with your parents in a cheap city vs living on your own in a HCOL city) but there's some floor where working full time gets you enough income to not need gov't support (in most cases).

From what I can gather Westjet and AC both (and maybe Porter?) pay below minimum wage due to various loopholes - they should be forced to pay at least legislated minimum wages. We forced Uber and Doordash to close that loophole last year for their delivery drivers so we should be able to force airlines to do the same thing.

No shade but why do we have to legislate gig work? it's posed to be a side gig not a job/career.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by noclue

No shade but why do we have to legislate gig work? it's posed to be a side gig not a job/career.

I'm not on the side of what BC did, like you say gig work seems like a side gig, but I think if they're willing to step into that then stepping into jobs like flight attendants (and possibly pilots at the lower end of the wage scale) is certainly something they could/should do as airline jobs are definitely real jobs/careers.

Of course this is provincial vs federal - BC chose to step in on it as they think that's the line, the Feds may not believe this is something they want to be involved with.

[RevYouUp]

Tbh flight attendants deserve tips more than the cactus gals

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by RevYouUp

Tbh flight attendants deserve tips more than the cactus gals

The Cactus gals like me a lot more though. I’m sure they are totally into me.

[Manic!]

Strike still on

https://www.reuters.com/business/wor...ys-2025-08-17/

Air Canada flight attendants continue strike despite order to return, airline delays restart

[Badhobz]

These are some salty ass cunts.

[6793026]

well at Toronto airport they have mixed messages. Airline says it's still a go but won't say HOW cause no one is going back to work.
My flight got pivoted to United so we'll see.

[Badhobz]

1) replace them all with hotter, fresher women. The lease is up on these old bitches. Looks worse than a modern day boeing aircraft.

2) every time they bring you that portable payment machine, add a tip feature like Revyouup says

3) hire only cunts that are over 5'5 as some of these little old midgets they got running around on airplanes are beyond pointless. Also make sure they dont take the entire isle with their ass. Mandatory weight restrictions apply to baggage. youre basically human baggage.

[RabidRat]

"The lease is up on these bitches"

[supafamous]

https://youtu.be/vucON8ZKTec?si=8tddN7n7E6S5ha6b

Re: Our discussion about China and EV subsidies - this CBC video does a great job of explaining how China is pursuing energy independence via solar, wind, rare minerals, and EVs. The side effect of this pursuit are subsidies across all these industries, a lot of innovation in these areas, and cheap product that other countries can access (like cheap EVs).

OTOH, the idiots in America are choosing to double down on fossil fuels - fuels they can't actually process (and that no producer wants to refine locally). It's no surprise that China is the next superpower - the pertinent question is how does Canada respond to this as the US is abandoning global leadership?

[Badhobz]

we already are a super power.

Like the China of antiquity, all we care about is just getting rich and fat. Zero interest in external issues (other than Taiwan) and only want to close our borders to foreigners while taking in as much gold & silver as possible. We are the most historically isolationist nation on earth. We built a giant wall for fuck sakes.

[westopher]

What’s this we shit. Go back to Chinar with that attitude hobz.

[Badhobz]

Not everyone is as inclusive and upstanding as you and the rest of our RS brothers. I got reminded of that everyday growing up in edmonton. Then i spoke engrish and things turned out a lot better afterwards.


p.s. fuck you white man.

[bcrdukes]

both of you plase juse go sucka a dibk

[westopher]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

Not everyone as inclusive and upstanding as you and the rest of our RS brothers. I got reminded of that everyday growing up in edmonton. Then i spoke engrish and things turned out a lot better afterwards.

I grew up in edmonton. There’s more inclusivity in that little pocket of Alberta than here cause it’s the only refuge in that shithole province.

[mikemhg]

Ya fuck outta here with that "we" bullshit Hobz.

[Badhobz]

What’s wrong with we ? Obviously I’m first and foremost chinese. I ain’t hiding that fact, how can I? I just look in the mirror and I know I’m suppose to go blow holes in some white womans caverns.

[bcrdukes]

#WeToo