F/O Charlene Hudy, center and seated, the former Air Canada Pilots Association Master Elected Council chair, signs the merger agreement establishing Air Canada as an ALPA pilot group.

The members of ALPA and the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) took a giant leap forward for North American aviation trade unionism when the two organizations officially merged on May 17. The gradual step-by-step process to make the merger a reality culminated with a unanimous vote by the Association’s Executive Board to approve bringing ACPA’s 4,800 pilots into ALPA as its 40th pilot group.

The background information outlined in Agenda Item 11, referencing this landmark alliance, noted, “It’s been ALPA’s long-standing objective to provide representation for all members of the airline piloting profession in the United States and Canada….” Just 16 days before, the two organizations issued a joint public statement declaring the ACPA members’ overwhelming support for union consolidation. The announcement proclaimed, “With 91.6 percent of eligible Air Canada pilots participating, 84.2 percent voted in favor of the merger.”

“We’re excited to welcome our colleagues at Air Canada to ALPA, and through this merger, we’ve reached another significant milestone in our work to advance the profession, keep flying safe, and promote the power of unionism,” remarked Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA’s president. “Together, our combined union will have greater strength in negotiating collective agreements, advancing pilots’ interests, and protecting labor rights.”

Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president, concurred, adding, “Unity among all pilots is our greatest strength, and today Canadian pilots across the nation are unified with a strong voice. ALPA is committed to advancing the profession and aviation safety, and with the addition of our Air Canada colleagues, we’ve dramatically increased ALPA’s presence across the nation, making us stronger in negotiations and on Parliament Hill.”

After the resounding acclamation of the Executive Board members, F/O Charlene Hudy, the former ACPA Master Elected Council chair, addressed the board, stating, “As Air Canada pilots continue to evolve and ACPA becomes a part of our aviation history, we’re very excited for what the future holds. I’m confident that we’re stronger as a pilot community when we stand together unified with one pilot voice.”

With the Executive Board vote completed, the merger agreement immediately went into effect, transferring all representation rights from ACPA to ALPA with notification sent to the Canada Industrial Relations Board. The merger agreement had already set in place the Air Canada Master Executive Council (MEC), with four local councils representing the pilot group’s four crew bases in Montréal, Qué. (254); Toronto, Ont. (253); Winnipeg, Man. (252); and Vancouver, B.C. (251).

Hudy serves as the Air Canada MEC chair, along with F/O Jesse Jantzi as the MEC vice chair, F/O Cameron Soderberg as the secretary-treasurer, and F/O Tim Everets as the pilot group’s executive administrator. Soderberg was also elected an ALPA Group A executive vice president, representing Air Canada pilots as a member of the Association’s Executive Council.

Local council leadership roles are initially being filled by the previously elected corresponding ACPA pilot representatives. In addition, nearly 20 former ACPA employees have joined the existing ALPA Canada staff in supporting the 19 ALPA pilot groups based in Canada.

With the recent inclusion of the Keewatin Air and Lynx Air pilot groups, ALPA now represents more than 74,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Hudy acknowledged that with the Air Canada merger, 95 percent of Canadian airline pilots are now ALPA members.

Course of Events

After years of a less-than-cordial relationship, ACPA and Air Canada management in 2014 negotiated a 10-year collective agreement for both the Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge pilots. The deal featured bonuses, profit sharing, and 2 percent annual wage increases, as well as provisions to settle potential disputes by allowing negotiations on specific items every three years.

If Air Canada met specified growth targets, the pilots conceded their right to strike and agreed to resolve any disputes with mediation or arbitration. If the designated targets weren’t realized, the pilots fully recovered their work-stoppage ability under the conditions of the Canada Labour Code.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Canada reached an agreement with the federal government on a $5.9 billion stimulus package. Despite this financial aid, the carrier opted to furlough 15 percent of its pilots to compensate for the dramatic cutback in the carrier’s operation, a move that affected pilot morale.

In fall 2022, with many of the Air Canada pilots recalled, management proposed several contract augmentations as outlined in the 10-year agreement. The pilots quickly voiced their displeasure with the inadequate offering. “We had 93.3 percent of our pilots vote on the deal with 79.6 percent saying ‘no,’” Hudy observed. “There were subsequent changes in our pilot leadership, and that’s how I became the group’s Master Elected Council chair,” she said.

Much of the frustration expressed by Air Canada pilots stemmed from the sizeable contract increases their U.S. counterparts were able to secure. Delta pilots ratified a collective agreement in March containing 34 percent pay increases over three years—a more than $7 billion jump. The Hawaiian, JetBlue, and Spirit pilot groups also recently achieved contract gains.

Meanwhile, Hudy noted the growing support for ALPA among the Air Canada pilots. Seven of the 11 new MEC members were previous ALPA members, including Hudy, who before transitioning to Air Canada served as the First Air MEC chair. She also gained valuable experience as the MEC vice chair and a Negotiating Committee member during her 10 years with the airline.

Unity Initiative

ALPA and ACPA formally began talks in February 2023, launching a Unity Initiative process to evaluate any changes necessary for the Air Canada pilots to join ALPA. Topics of discussion included dues assessments, voting protocols, governing bodies, access to Canadian-specific resources, and other priorities. As a demonstration of good faith, ALPA implemented several policy amendments based on these discussions.

In addition, ACPA polled its members to gauge pilot attitudes about joining a larger union and any concerns they might have. Pilots for Change, a core group of ACPA members advancing the idea of a thorough evaluation, issued a statement, acknowledging, “We’ve identified a number of areas where ALPA’s expertise, scope, and structure could benefit the Air Canada pilots. We need to diligently consider how we might best integrate and avail our pilot group of ALPA’s ‘toolbox,’ and understand the potential value to our pilot group and our profession.”

The two unions reached an agreement-in-principle in March with the consent of the ACPA Master Elected Council and ALPA Canada. ALPA’s Executive Council cleared another benchmark, voting in favor of the merger during its April meeting.

Sealing the Deal

On May 1, ACPA announced that the pilots had approved the merger, and ALPA’s Executive Board cast its votes a little more than two weeks later, completing the pact. In a press release, Ambrosi welcomed the Air Canada pilots, saying, “Adding their voice to our collective strength unifies the profession in an enormous way.”

Hudy acknowledged, “Both unions put a lot of work into making this merger as mutually attractive and beneficial as possible.”

Now full-fledged ALPA members, the Air Canada pilots turn their collective attention to contract negotiations. The group recently announced, “Air Canada pilots are fully invested in our company, customers, and our country. We’re proud of the profession we’ve chosen and take very seriously our jobs transporting our passengers safely to their destinations. To remain competitive in the global economy, Air Canada must address career progression and job security for its pilots, as well as the growing wage gap between the United States and Canada.”

Accordingly, the pilots have exercised an option to prematurely withdraw from their 10-year agreement, setting the stage for the start of contract negotiations. As members of the world’s largest airline pilots’ union, Air Canada pilots now have access to ALPA’s vast resources, including the Association’s Major Contingency Fund, and the support of more than 74,000 fellow union members.