Toronto, September 5, 2024
Contract negotiations between Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have been ongoing since June 2023. Federal conciliation ended on August 26, 2024, at which time a 21-day cooling-off period began. If a new agreement is not reached by the end of the cooling-off period, the pilots, who voted overwhelming in favour of a strike, will be in a legal strike position as soon as September 18, 2024.
The ALPA, which represents more than 5,400 aviators at the country’s largest carrier, advised that the vote passed with 98 percent support. The pilots have been pressing for historic gains to narrow a wage gap with higher-paid US counterparts, who secured record contracts in 2023 amid pilot shortages and strong travel demand. The latest offer from Air Canada includes a minimum 20% salary increase up front, followed by annual raises over a three-year period, which would result in salary increases to approximately 30% over this time frame.
At this point, the federal government is reluctant to force Air Canada’s pilots back to work if they go on strike, even though Ottawa took that step to end a work stoppage at the country’s two railroads earlier this month, and is receiving pressure from industries affected by this potential labour action to step in.
For more information, please call David Lychek, Director – Ocean & Air Services at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1207.
