After ten months on the picket line, members of the Pascan Aviation Inc. Flight Attendants' Union (CUPE 5490) have taken their fight directly to the Magdalen Islands. On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, they held a press conference at the Havre-aux-Maisons airport to raise awareness among local residents about their ongoing labour dispute — and most critically, to shed light on serious safety concerns arising from the company's continued use of replacement workers aboard its aircraft.
A Historic Labour Dispute in Regional Aviation
The strike began on October 28, 2025, now ten months ago. Since then, Pascan Aviation flight attendants have been demanding a collective agreement that genuinely reflects the value of their work, their specialized expertise, and their essential contribution to passenger safety. Despite months of negotiations, the deadlock continues: Pascan Aviation management has refused, according to the union, to bargain in good faith, and has instead chosen to deploy replacement workers to keep its operations running at full capacity.
This situation is of deep concern to members of CUPE 5490. The flight attendants are not simply fighting for better wages and benefits — they are raising a fundamental question that goes to the very heart of the safety of every person who boards a Pascan Aviation flight.
Passenger Safety at the Centre of the Dispute
Union members maintain that the replacement workers currently operating aboard Pascan Aviation aircraft have not received the same safety training as the regular, certified flight attendants. This allegation raises serious concerns in a context where the Magdalen Islands are almost entirely dependent on air travel to connect the archipelago to mainland Quebec. For island residents, flying is not a luxury — it is often the only viable option for urgent trips, medical appointments, or professional travel needs.
Flight attendants are safety professionals first and foremost. Their training, governed by Transport Canada regulations, covers emergency procedures, aircraft evacuation, in-flight medical response, fire suppression, and many other critical safety protocols. Any gap in the quality of that training can have direct and severe consequences for the safety of all passengers on board — a point the union is determined to make clear to the Magdalen Islands community and to the broader Quebec public.
« Our members are fighting for a collective agreement that fully recognizes the value of their work and their contribution. They are, however, facing an intransigent employer that has no hesitation in resorting to replacement workers who do not offer the same level of safety for passengers. The people of the Magdalen Islands deserve to know the truth. » – Patrick Gloutney, President of CUPE-Québec
A Full Day of Community Outreach Across the Islands
In addition to the noon press conference held at 210, chemin de l'Aéroport in Havre-aux-Maisons, the flight attendants conducted a comprehensive tour of the Magdalen Islands, meeting as many residents as possible throughout the day. The goals of this mobilization day were threefold: to build solidarity with the Madelinot community, to share the everyday reality of workers who have been on strike for nearly a year, and to gather the moral and political support of islanders in the ongoing fight for fair working conditions and a safer regional aviation sector.
Patrick Gloutney, President of CUPE-Québec, personally accompanied the local union members during this awareness visit, demonstrating the union federation's unwavering and active support for its members who have been on strike for ten months.
CUPE: A Key Force in Quebec's Unionized Air Transport Sector
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-FTQ) represents 143,000 members in Quebec, making it one of the most influential unions in the province. In the air transport sector specifically, CUPE represents more than 3,000 workers, including cabin crew at Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat, Sunwing, and Pascan Aviation. This industry-wide representational strength gives CUPE considerable leverage in collective bargaining across Quebec's aviation sector.
The Magdalen Islands outreach initiative is part of a broader strategy to increase public visibility and apply sustained pressure on Pascan Aviation management. By going directly to the company's regular passengers, the strikers aim to expand the conversation beyond union circles and engage Quebec public opinion on critical issues of safety and fairness in the regional aviation industry.
What Comes Next
As of today, no new date for resuming negotiations has been announced by either party. Members of CUPE 5490 remain resolute in their determination to continue their fight until a fair and equitable collective agreement is reached — one that fully recognizes their front-line role in the chain of aviation safety. The Magdalen Islands community is invited to follow the ongoing developments and to express solidarity with the workers on strike. For media inquiries: Julien Royal, CUPE Communications Department, 514-638-1461.
Working in Aviation or Aerospace in Quebec?
AeroEmploi is Quebec's specialized job board for the aerospace and aviation industries. Whether you are searching for a position as a flight attendant, pilot, avionics technician, aerospace engineer, or any other career in the world of aviation, browse the available job listings at aeroemploi.ca and take your career to new heights in Quebec's skies.