New polling conducted by Abacus Data confirms that nearly 9 in 10 Canadians support Air Canada flight attendants’ fight for fair pay – and they want the federal government to back off and let them negotiate it freely and fairly.

• 88% per cent of Canadians believe flight attendants should be paid for all work-related duties including boarding, delays, and safety checks.
• 59% believe the federal government should respect flight attendants’ right to take job action – even if it causes travel disruptions.
• 76% support raising their pay to reflect the important safety role they play.
• 71% support Air Canada matching or exceeding competitor airline pay as Canada’s flagship carrier
• 80% support raising flight attendant pay to meet the rising cost-of-living.
• 59% think Air Canada’s wage increase for junior flight attendants is still too low to live on in major cities, and only 19% think Air Canada’s wage offer is fair.

The survey also confirms the public is tuning in, with 43% saying they are following the process closely.

The survey of 1500 across Canada was conducted on August 14-15 with a weighted sample. Read more here.