Air Canada pilots have overwhelmingly voted to authorise a strike after the union says the airline’s management ignored pilots’ concerns as negotiations for a new contract drag on.
“Air Canada pilots are working under pay rates and quality-of-life provisions negotiated in 2014,” Air Line Pilots Association, International, which represents the cockpit crew, said on 22 August.
“Negotiations for a new agreement began in June 2023. Talks entered private mediation in January 2024 and lasted until June 2024, at which point the union decided to file a notice of dispute and enter conciliation because the two sides were unable to reach a new collective agreement.”
Ninety eight percent of ALPA members participated in the vote, and of those, 98% voted in favour of striking, if called by the union, ALPA says.
“Today, more than 5,400 Air Canada pilots sent a clear message to management that we are willing to go the distance to secure a contract that reflects the value we bring to Air Canada,” Charlene Hudy, chair of the Air Canada ALPA master executive council, says. “Our goal is to avoid a strike, and our focus remains on modernising our contract for Air Canada pilots.”
The pilots’ concerns include “fair compensation, respectable retirement benefits and quality-of-life improvements”, she adds.
“Air Canada pilots are committed to avoiding a strike and the flight disruptions that would follow, and that’s why we continue to negotiate in good faith,” continued Hudy.
ALPA says Air Canada pilots may commence job action as early as mid-September if no agreement has been reached by the end of the so-called cooling-off period.
Air Canada on 22 August “acknowledged” the pilots’ vote and says it “remains committed to the bargaining process and will continue to work towards a fair and equitable collective agreement with ALPA that recognises the contributions of our pilots and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of our company”.
Last month the Montreal-based carrier reported a C$410 million ($298 million) profit during the second quarter, down more than 50% from the same period last year, as costs rose and as loads and yields declined in an ever-tougher international market. Revenue during the three-month period rose slightly year on year to C$5.5 billion, while expenses rose 9% year on year to C$5.1 billion.
