Evidence of meeting #53 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was jazz.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:05 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
However, the people in place were primarily the people who spoke the useful language based on the route.
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Okay.
Francis, do you work with customers every day? Is your job to work with the customers, because you are on the plane?
1:10 p.m.
In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
Yes. For example, on Sunday I'm flying to London. I'm going to be the service director on the flight.
1:10 p.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Okay. Are the routes you're doing unilingual routes or are they bilingual routes?
1:10 p.m.
In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
The ones I do are international routes, to Santiago, Chile, or to London, England, or to Copenhagen, but they are bilingual routes, yes. There are bilingual people, French-English—a bilingual crew.
1:10 p.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Of course, it's your right to speak only English if you want to speak only English, but have you been asked in your lifetime with Air Canada to learn French? Have you protested, or did you not want to learn, or...?
1:10 p.m.
In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
I've been encouraged and approached to learn to speak French. Some people have asked me, “Why didn't you ever learn to speak French”? I speak Italian, so when I was hired, I was hired for my Italian. I fully recognize that my not learning French has somewhat held me back from certain positions that I wanted, such as training or this or that, but that was my decision. There have been opportunities for me to learn French, but I've had my focus elsewhere.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for being here.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Excuse me. I'm looking at the time, and I can see we have only four minutes left.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
Ms. Pagé, I'm happy to hear you speak about your experience as a flight attendant. We can relive Air Canada's history through your experience.
You're here because the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada has released another report, which concerns the past 50 years. While Air Canada is subject to the Official Languages Act, there's a serious lack of compliance. Nevertheless, you told us—and I think other witnesses from Air Canada have said the same thing—that improvements have been made.
You said that you still have challenges, even with regard to employees. Can you describe your experience? Now that you hold a position of responsibility with the union, what are the challenges, exactly? How do you explain to the members that the company has an official languages obligation?
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
First, I think that, before the much talked-about “Hello, Bonjour”, the flight attendants didn't know it was the law.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Then, it's divided in two, almost half and half. There are the veterans who were hired 20 or more years ago, and the new employees, who are almost all bilingual. This aspect is resolved. However, we need to make do with the people who are already there.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
We need to try to reach and include those who were already there. This part is difficult because the French language is a hot topic. It's cultural.
1:10 p.m.
Conservative
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Because there's even—
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Yes, I know.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
We're dealing with this reality. We work with people from the west and with people who refuse to come to Montreal. Some flight attendants say, regarding their assignment, that they want to avoid Montreal at all costs. They don't even want to be exposed to French.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
You were in the audience when we presented the letter that my colleague, Mr. Samson, received from the union. I'll reread you the sentence that bothers us, and I'd like your opinion on it.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Okay.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
The last sentence of the letter reads as follows:
The Union is in discussions with the company on the effects this will have on the membership and the language training requirements needed to mitigate the negative impact.
There are a number of things.
There is “the effects this will have”. There is “mitigate”. There is “negative impact”.
This letter is from one of your unions.
