Toronto Pearson International Airport

On the heels of Air Canada pilots authorizing a strike vote, more than 2,000 pilots participated in a nationwide informational picket on August 27, across all Air Canada bases, in Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver, B.C.; Montréal, Qué.; and Winnipeg, Man. Supported by ALPA’s national officers and their peers from other airlines, Air Canada pilots demonstrated their unquestionable resolve and solidarity in modernizing their decade-old contract.

“Our goal is to reach an agreement; however, our employer continues to force us closer to a strike position by not listening to our needs at the negotiating table regarding fair compensation, respectable retirement benefits, and quality-of-life improvements,” said F/O Charlene Hudy, the pilot group’s Master Executive Council chair.

On August 22, Air Canada pilots announced that they voted overwhelmingly in favour to authorize union leaders to call a strike. With 98 percent of members participating, 98 percent of Air Canada pilots voted in favour of a job action, if necessary, to achieve a new contractual agreement with Air Canada.

Vancouver International Airport

The pilots are working under pay rates and quality-of-life provisions bargained in 2014. Negotiations for a new agreement began in June 2023. Talks entered private mediation in January 2024 and lasted until June, 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.

“More than 5,400 Air Canada pilots sent a clear message to management that we’re willing to go the distance to secure a contract that reflects the value we bring to Air Canada,” said Hudy. “After more than a year of negotiations, management must now come to the realization that if it fails to reach an agreement, it will be responsible for us withdrawing our services.”

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

The pilots are prepared for any outcome, thanks in large part to a $US5 million grant from ALPA’s war chest, which was unanimously authorized by the Association’s Executive Board to support final-stage contact negotiations.

“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. “Management has the power—and the resources—to avoid a strike, flight disruptions, and lasting damage to its brand. All it has to do is recognize the value of its employees.”

The pilot group will be in a legal position to begin a job action on September 18 if no agreement has been reached by the end of the cooling-off period.

Winnipeg Richardson International Airport