Transport committee  Thank you for those questions. They are excellent. When you work in the north or in remote areas, there are multiple challenges. I would note that we do not represent only the big airline companies: We also represent companies like PAL Airlines, Pascan and Calm Air, in Manitoba.

Transport committee  The challenges exist in all areas. The labour shortage and aging workforce issue is not new. I think a witness gave the proof of that a little earlier, in fact. Recruiting is difficult, because working conditions and working hours are complex. For a flight attendant who has to work on a flight with a 6:00 a.m. departure time, for example, it is not easy to reconcile work and personal life when the day care doesn't open until 7:00.

Transport committee  I think we have to create attractive working conditions, winning conditions. As I said briefly in my opening remarks, we are currently seeing a race to the lowest possible price. The goal is to beat the competition, to dominate the market, and to make as much money as possible. The race is not about offering the best services there are or the best possible working conditions.

Transport committee  In theory and in practice, there's no incentive in the circumstances that you just described. Actually, across-the-board reductions of fees and taxes in a not perfect market with high competition will only contribute to increased profits to those airlines.

Transport committee  Yes, I want to add to that, because we've been hearing a lot about this. Basically, it's “Reduce our fees, reduce our fees, reduce our costs, and then the others will come in that perfect world,” and we're very worried here that this is actually going to not only contribute to increased profits for those airlines, but also reduce the capacity of governments, whether it's federal, municipal or provincial, to reinvest where the needs are—the big, major needs.

Transport committee  I probably won't have time to answer, will I?

Transport committee  I think we have to make a distinction between the duty hours of pilots and the duty hours of flight attendants, and I would probably direct your question on the duty hours of the pilots to the pilots' associations. In terms of hours and duty hours, one thing that is for sure, for your information, members of the committee, is that for flight attendants, when they are at work, not all those hours they are at work are paid.

Transport committee  Thank you for the question. Regarding what has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, I will mention several things. First, the situation varies depending on the size of the carrier and the region. Some carriers that offer essential services continued to do so during and after the pandemic, while that was not the case for others.

Transport committee  Members of the committee, thank you for extending the invitation to the Canadian Union of Public Employees to speak to you today on the Competition Act and air travel in northern, rural and remote communities in Canada. CUPE is Canada's largest union, representing 740,000 workers, including more than 18,500 flight attendants among other workers in air transportation in Canada.

Transport committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for having me here, even if remotely. I am sorry. Family obligations—

Transport committee  That's fine.