After a year of talks with no agreement in sight, the union representing more than 5,000 Air Canada pilots has requested help from a federal conciliator.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) posted on social media that it “will exit the mediation protocol agreement on June 15.” It will file a notice of dispute requesting the Minister of Labour to assign a federal conciliator to assist with negotiations.
This comes after a period of nearly six months of voluntary mediation, which has apparently not advanced talks. AC pilots want their wages more in line with pilots at U.S. carriers, and are also seeking improvements to working conditions.
PHOTO: An Air Canada plane. (photo via Flickr/Brussels Airport)
Air Canada responded with a statement that it is committed to achieving a fair, negotiated agreement.
When AC’s most-recent 10-year agreement expired last fall, pilots stated that at the time that deal was signed, they were being paid just three per cent less than United Airlines pilots. The union now says that gap is as much as 92%.
“Air Canada is not keeping pace and Canadians are losing their pilots and routes,” pilots said at the time. The Air Canada Pilots Association represented AC pilots before voting overwhelmingly to join ALPA, the world’s largest pilot union that represents the captains of more than 40 airlines around the world.
Topics From This Article to Explore
