Air Canada averts strike action as pilots vote 67% in favour of new agreement
October 10, 2024
The world’s largest airline pilot union, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), has agreed a four-year collective agreement on behalf of more than 5,200 Air Canada pilots.
The ratified employment contract ends a lengthy dispute that last month threatened to result in strike action. Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive of Air Canada, welcomed the ratified agreement saying: “We are very pleased this new collective agreement has been approved by our pilot group.”
Of the 99% of eligible pilots who cast ballots, 67% voted in favour of the agreement. Air Canada ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC) chair, Charlene Hudy, described the contract as the “largest labour agreement in Air Canada’s history”
The deal, which runs retroactively from 30 September 2023 until 29 September 2027, “helps restore what Air Canada pilots have lost over the past two decades and creates a strong foundation from which to build on,” said First Officer Hudy.
According to Reuters, an executive summary of the deal revealed that the agreement would give pilots a general four-year cumulative rate increase of about 42% generating approximately C$1.9 billion in additional value.
Hudy noted that with Air Canada’s ambitious plans for growth, the airline’s management “is demonstrating its commitment to the pilots through this investment, highlighting the importance of our role in the airline’s continued success.”
Meanwhile, Rousseau said the agreement was mutually beneficial. “It will keep our pilots the best compensated in Canada and provide the work-life balance improvements they were seeking. At the same time, the agreement gives our company flexibility and creates a framework for future growth of the airline and its network.”
