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.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Yes, we need to protect our members. Many of them are unilingual anglophones. At this time, 30% of positions on a flight are protected, in particular on an overseas flight.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
I want to make sure I understand. It's not necessarily to protect their employment, but it's based on the routes that have already been established.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Exactly, because that's all that matters in the end.
Personally, I wouldn't start this job over again. I wouldn't be able to.
In my case, I have a specific assignment. Now, I'm a princess. When I arrive in Geneva, I eat lunch, then return to Montreal. It's my life. I do this once a week. I've been a flight attendant for 31 years. I've earned it.
If my flight to Geneva is cancelled because of a snowstorm, and I'm sent to Saskatoon or Regina via Winnipeg, I have a 13-hour day and a 10-hour rest period. It's very difficult to do this job.
So, people don't want to lose their privileges. We can't change things and say that we'll place three francophones on a flight instead of two because, at that point, one of them will those their privileges. We need to try to work with the people who are already in place, and to see whether we can provide service at a functional level of French.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
What you're saying is very interesting. You're talking about the internal culture.
1:10 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
I'll give you another example. In Vancouver, some people have a level four qualification. At that level, it's no longer necessary to requalify. At level three, you must take an exam every year to see whether you're using too many anglicisms, for example.
I'm thinking of certain people who reached level four 20 years ago, when they were married to a francophone. They then divorced, and they may not have spoken French in 10 years. It's now difficult for them, but they still have their French qualification.
1:15 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the two witnesses for being here.
I know the “Hello, Bonjour” active offer exists. I also know that some flights and routes are bilingual, but maybe an anglophone—
I don't think a unilingual francophone exists. I don't want to say a unilingual anglophone, because, as you said,
you also speak Italian, so you're bilingual but not in French and English.
What happens when a client wants to be served in French? Is there a protocol to follow?
1:15 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
Yes, of course.
1:15 p.m.
Flight Attendant, Head of the Francization Committee , Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4091
It's very simple.
You go ahead, Mr. Manfredi.
1:15 p.m.
In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
For example, I'm unilingual and just a week ago a passenger said, “I'd like to be served in French. I thought you were all bilingual.” The company has given me, as a unilingual person, a tool to say, “Un instant, s'il vous plaît”, which I think means “Just a moment, please”, so I would have to go the.... That particular day, we had one French speaker. He was working in a different part of the airplane, so I had to suspend service, call this person, and say, “Anthony, I'm really sorry. I need you to come up. A passenger wants to be served in French.”
A few minutes later Anthony came and I did something else. He took care of everything because we have good people and they know how to serve well, and then he went back to his position. When Anthony came, I made sure that I found out everything this passenger required from the menu, drinks, when he'd like to go to sleep, if he'd like to be woken up, so that the passenger felt comfortable and his needs were taken care of. If there was ever any other issue I would have to call Anthony to come, but there wasn't. There usually isn't. It's just that first time.
1:15 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Why? Is it because the French-speaking people don't ask for the service? They start speaking English and—
1:15 p.m.
In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
Is it okay if I give you another little anecdote that might help? On the Embraer aircraft there are only two crew members for about 100 people. There are two flight attendants, me and the French-speaking flight attendant. In J class, there are nine passengers. According to my company, the service director takes care of those premium passengers, nobody else. That day the vast majority of passengers in J class were francophones, so I thought it would be much more seamless and comfortable if I switched with the person in the back. There was more camaraderie, and it would go much better, but I took a risk on that because if any of those passengers complained about why the service director didn't serve them, I would be called into the office and have to explain why I did that. The good-natured part of me says they would have seen why I did that—
1:15 p.m.
In-Charge Flight Attendant, Air Canada
I would hope, but the fact is that I broke a rule, so to speak.
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Ms. Boucher, you can ask a question. I'll then give the floor to Ms. Lapointe.
1:15 p.m.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
We have the same question.
1:15 p.m.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Hello.
You surprised me, I must say. Ms. Lapointe and I looked at each other, and we had the same reaction.
Please explain to me how, in 2017, French is a hot topic. Everyone is connected to the Internet, and there are many ways to speak both languages. However, to avoid bothering the average person, you need to be careful. Of course you need to be careful. We've been here and we've been building this country for 400 years. I hope you'll be careful when it comes to French!
Why do people still have this mentality? I've never been a union member, and I don't understand this. I don't understand how, in 2017, things are still this way. Please explain to me how you see things, because it makes no sense to me.
