From left, Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president; Capt. Charlene Hudy, Air Canada Master Executive Council (MEC) chair; and Capt. Bernie Lewall, WestJet MEC chair, take part in ALPA’s Parliament Hill Day.

ALPA Canada has made significant progress in advancing the Association’s pilot agenda on Parliament Hill amid a political landscape that has become increasingly antagonistic as parliamentarians begin shifting into election mode in advance of a federal general election slated for October 2025.

ALPA Canada leaders continue to work with legislators, regardless of political stripe, to promote the airline piloting profession, protect pilot jobs, support the industry’s growth and viability, and ensure members’ health and safety. ALPA’s strong pilot partisanship will continue to be instrumental to the continued success in growing pilot influence as the Association advances its issues, regardless of which political party will be leading the government after the next federal election.

While Parliament is on summer recess and parliamentarians have returned to their ridings to reconnect with their constituents and focus on local issues, ALPA Canada will continue its work over the summer and into the fall when parliamentarians return and beyond to ensure pilot issues remain front and centre.

ALPA Canada’s Collective Voice, Stronger and Louder Than Ever Before

ALPA’s increasing number of Canadian members now reflects 95 percent of the unionized pilot workforce employed at 20 airlines across Canada. Combined with successful collective bargaining outcomes over the last 12 months, ALPA Canada has reached an unprecedented level of influence with the government.

ALPA Canada’s continued efforts with the federal government to address the impacts of legislation, regulations, policies, and programs on the industry and Canadian members have resulted in success for the piloting profession.

ALPA Canada leaders remain committed to working with the federal government to promote key pilot issues and provide solutions to move ALPA’s priority issues forward. ALPA Canada’s unwavering efforts have established the Association as a prominent aviation safety organization and pilot union.

Notable Legislation and Regulations

Bill C-58—Historic Prolabour Legislation

Legislation to prohibit the use of replacement workers in federally regulated sectors and to make improvements to the maintenance-of-activities process under Part I of the Canada Labour Code, Bill C-58 was passed with unanimous consent by both the House of Commons and the Senate in June and is now officially law.

Of particular importance to ALPA Canada and all Canadian members is that the new legislation includes fundamental amendments to the code’s maintenance-of-activities process. This new process, proposed by ALPA Canada, establishes how essential services are to be maintained in the event of a labour disruption and, most importantly, that timelines for addressing this can’t be manipulated or weaponized by employers intending to delay reaching a collective agreement or frustrating the bargaining process.

The impact of ALPA’s engagement on this can’t be understated and if not for the Association’s intervention and advocacy, this legislation likely wouldn’t have included important changes to the code. Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president, attended in-person consultation sessions with the minister of Labour, his staff, departmental officials, and other industry stakeholders when the government was first seeking stakeholder input in 2022. ALPA Canada subsequently provided written submissions to the Labour Department and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities in support of ALPA’s priorities and to advocate for change.

ALPA Canada members also lobbied government officials during Parliament Hill Day to express the importance of Bill C-58. Pilot advocates educated and pressed Canadian legislators to support the legislation, which will have a positive impact on the bargaining process by leveling the playing field for both employers and unions that provide critical services to Canadians and their communities.

The passage of Bill C-58 is a major victory for both pilots and the labour movement across the country and will bring fairness to the bargaining table and better protect the rights of workers. ALPA looks forward to its timely implementation.

Bill C-355

ALPA Canada’s participation in the legislative process includes providing expert witness testimony at various Standing Committees in both the House of Commons and Senate. ALPA’s participation is an important activity that ensures Canadian members’ collective voice is heard and that the pilot perspective is represented.

ALPA Canada’s president appeared as an expert witness before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food to discuss the impact of Bill C-355—An Act to Prohibit the Export by Air of Horses for Slaughter and to Make Related Amendments to Certain Acts on ALPA members.

The committee agreed with ALPA Canada’s proposed amendments to the bill to protect ALPA members, and all Canadian pilots, from unnecessary responsibilities and hefty fines and/or imprisonment and removed those sections from the legislation.

The bill was passed through the House of Commons and now sits in the Senate to be dealt with when Parliament returns in September.

ALPA Canada’s intervention and outreach on this bill resulted in a fundamental change to the legislation, and the Association will continue to monitor its progress to ensure ALPA’s priorities remain reflected in the legislation.

Air Passenger Protection Regulations

In August 2023, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) concluded its consultations on its proposed update to the air passenger protection regulations.

ALPA Canada provided a submission to protect captain’s authority over the concern of the CTA’s proposal to eliminate the current safety-related exemption category that includes “safety-related decisions pilots make at their discretion” (captain’s authority) and replace it with a narrower list of exceptional circumstances.

ALPA Canada’s submission was clear that these regulations must continue to recognize, as part of the exceptional circumstances list, the captain’s discretion to make safety-related decisions, including the refusal to conduct any flight operations at any time unless the captain is fully satisfied operations can be safely completed.

ALPA maintains that pilots, and by extension airlines, shouldn’t be punished for ensuring the safety of the aircraft, passengers, and other crewmembers. Furthermore, the inclusion of “safety-related decisions pilots make at their discretion” will not only ensure that captain’s authority is recognized, but will also safeguard against the pressure to compromise safety to avoid punitive penalties to the employer.

The CTA is currently preparing draft regulations based on input from stakeholders. These draft regulations will then be published in Canada Gazette, Part I for further public review and comment. ALPA Canada will respond as needed to the draft regulations when they’re published.

Foreign Pilots

In the latter part of 2023, ALPA Canada responded to the federal government’s announcement of changes to Canada’s Express Entry system to address labour shortages in the transport sector that will provide a pathway to Canadian citizenship for foreign pilots who wish to work in Canada.

ALPA Canada leaders consider the Express Entry management system a Band-Aid solution that fails to address the root of Canada’s pilot supply challenges. ALPA looks forward to working with the government to find better ways to address the issue of labour shortages in the airline sector.

In all matters affecting the piloting profession and Canadian members, ALPA Canada will continue to call on Canada’s airline sector stakeholders and the government to increase collaboration with the Association to ensure the industry’s safety, stability, and growth.

Advancing ALPA’s Pilot-Partisan Agenda

ALPA Canada hosted its inaugural Parliament Hill Day last September. The Hill Day coincided with ALPA Canada’s board meeting and was an opportune time to engage with parliamentarians who were back in Ottawa, Ont., fresh from their summer recess.

ALPA Canada pilot leaders representing nearly every carrier descended on Parliament Hill for the day to reinforce the position that the Association is the largest pilot union and aviation safety organization in the world and to increase awareness of the issues affecting the piloting profession.

This event complemented ALPA Canada’s ongoing discussions with government officials on issues such as pilot supply and training; the implementation of the flight- and duty-time regulations; northern and remote operations; and ongoing collective bargaining-related issues and priorities, such as Bill C-58.

ALPA Canada’s Parliament Hill Day coincided with an evening reception that gave ALPA members and members of Parliament from all political parties an opportunity to interact in a more relaxed and informal setting.

Parliament Hill Day engagement included over 30 scheduled meetings and more than 75 engagements with legislators throughout the day and evening. ALPA Canada looks forward to the next Parliament Hill lobby day scheduled for this December.

ALPA Canada’s Engagement with Provincial Governments

ALPA Canada has begun cross-country engagement with Canada’s provincial governments to educate legislators on flight- and duty-time regulations and to fight against the erosion of safety regulations. Some Canadian operators continue to point to labour shortages and fatigue regulations as a burden on their operations. ALPA Canada is reaching out to, and meeting with, relevant provincial legislators to set the record straight in the name of safety and to protect pilots and pilot jobs.

Capt. Louis-Éric Mongrain, ALPA Canada’s vice president–administration/finance, has met with Québec Provincial Minister of Employment Kateri Champagne Jourdain, along with members of the National Assembly Yves Montigny and Joël Arseneau.

He also attended meetings at Queen’s Park with Ontario provincial government officials at the office of the premier, and at the Ministry of Transport, to discuss ALPA Canada’s work, with a focus on helping the next generation become airline pilots.

ALPA Canada’s president was in Iqaluit, Nunavut, to meet with representatives of the government of Nunavut to advocate on behalf of ALPA Canada pilots operating in the northern regions of Canada for improvements in safety regulations, aviation infrastructure, and northern flight training.

ALPA Canada’s message to provincial legislators is clear: fatigue regulations are safety regulations. ALPA is opposed to any exemption, requested rollback, or suspension of fatigue regulations.

Efforts Continue

ALPA Canada pilot leaders and professional staff remain focused on engaging with Canada’s government to advance pilot priorities. ALPA Canada continues to work tirelessly in Ottawa and across the country on behalf of all members to advocate for a safe, competitive, and sustainable industry now and in the future.