Air Canada Averts Strike, Reaches Tentative Agreement with Pilots
Air Canada has announced a last-minute, tentative agreement with its pilots union, averting a potential strike that threatened to disrupt travel for thousands of Canadians, CNN reports.
The deal comes after weeks of intense negotiations and a looming deadline for a complete shutdown of operations.
The agreement, which covers a four-year period, will mean a major pay increase for pilots. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing over 5,200 Air Canada pilots, claims the deal will be worth an additional C$1.9 billion ($1.40 billion) over the contract’s duration, representing a 46% increase over the previous agreement.
The agreement includes improvements to compensation, retirement plans, and work rules, according to Charlene Hudy, chair of the Air Canada ALPA master executive council. Negotiations had been ongoing for 15 months, with pilots demanding wage rates comparable to their counterparts at major US airlines, where hefty pay raises have been secured in recent years.
The potential strike had prompted Air Canada to prepare for a three-day phased cancellation of flights, culminating in a complete shutdown of operations starting Wednesday, September 18th. However, the airline will now continue flying as normal, with nearly 670 daily flights carrying around 110,000 passengers and freight.
The agreement is still pending ratification by the ALPA members, which is expected to be completed within the next month. While the specific terms of the agreement remain confidential, both sides have expressed relief at avoiding a disruptive strike.
Canadian Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon praised the hard work of the parties and federal mediators, stating that travel disruptions for Canadians were successfully prevented. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously stated the government would not intervene in the dispute, unlike its actions in ending a recent rail strike.
