Air Canada, pilots reach a tentative deal, avoiding a walkout Achi-News

MONTREAL – Passengers planning to fly on Canada’s largest airline can breathe a sigh of relief after Air Canada said Sunday it has reached a tentative agreement with the union representing more than 5,200 of its pilots.

The news of a preliminary deal with the Air Line Pilots Association came shortly after midnight on Sunday when the airline issued a press release just days before possible work stoppages for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.

The tentative deal avoids a strike or lockout that could have started on Wednesday, with flight cancellations expected before then.

“The new agreement recognizes the contributions and professionalism of Air Canada’s pilot group, while providing a framework for the airline’s future growth,” the carrier said in the statement.

He said Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge will continue to operate as normal while union members vote on the tentative four-year contract.

He said the terms of the new agreement will remain confidential pending a ratification vote by the membership, which is expected to be completed over the next month, and approval by Air Canada’s board of directors.

ALPA issued a statement after midnight Sunday, saying that if confirmed, the tentative agreement will generate an additional $1.9 billion in value for Air Canada pilots over the course of the agreement.

First Officer Charlene Hudy, chair of Air Canada’s ALPA MEC, said in a statement Sunday, “The constant engagement and united determination of our pilots has been the catalyst for the execution of this contract.” He added that progress had been made on a number of key issues including compensation, retirement, and work rules.

The airline said customers who changed flights originally scheduled between Sunday and September 23 under its labor disruption plan can change their booking back to their original flight in the same cabin at no cost, provided space is available have

In the run-up to Sunday’s deadline to issue a notice of suspension, both sides said they remained far apart on the issue of pay, which was central to the long-running negotiations. than a year.

The pilots’ union argued that Air Canada continues to post record profits while expecting pilots to receive below-market compensation. He also said that around a quarter of pilots say they take second jobs, with around 80 per cent of those doing so out of necessity.

The airline had said it had offered pay rises of more than 30 percent over four years, along with benefits improvements, and said the union was being inflexible with “unreasonable wage demands.”

Air Canada and a number of business groups had called on the government to intervene in the matter, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses and the Canadian and United States Chambers of Commerce.

“The Government of Canada must take swift action to avoid another labor unrest that negatively affects cross-border travel and trade, a harmful outcome for people and businesses,” the chambers and the Canadian Business Council said in a statement Friday.

The union had called for the other approach, with Association President Captain Tim Perry issuing a statement Friday asking Ottawa to respect workers’ collective rights and refrain from participating in the bargaining process. He said the government’s interference violated Canadian constitutional rights and freedoms.

For his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said that it is up to both sides to establish a deal.

Trudeau said Friday that the government is not going to step in and fix the issue alone, something it promptly did after two of Canada’s main railways saw lockouts in August and during a strike by WestJet mechanics on Canada Day long weekend.

He said that the government respected the right to strike and that it would only intervene if it became clear that an agreement had not been negotiated.

Air Canada had already begun preparing for possible closures, saying its cargo service had stopped accepting items such as perishable goods and stating that a wind-down plan for passenger flights would take effect if a strike was notified or lockout is issued.

The tentative agreement avoids travel disruptions for the average 670 daily flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, carrying more than 110,000 passengers.

This report was first published by The Canadian Press on September 15, 2024.

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