Two groups of PAL Airlines employees have turned to the federal conciliation process after more than a year of contract negotiations, with both pilots and flight attendants seeking outside assistance to reach new collective agreements.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing PAL pilots, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the airline’s flight attendants, have both requested conciliation, which brings a neutral third party into negotiations to help the sides work toward agreements.
The development comes as PAL Airlines continues to provide service across Eastern Canada, including communities in Newfoundland and Labrador where air service plays an important role in regional connectivity.
PAL Airlines told CBC News it welcomes the conciliation process.
“We will move forward with the same direct and positive approach we have maintained throughout these negotiations as we work toward mutually beneficial agreements for both employee groups,” PAL senior vice-president Joseph Galimberti said in a statement.
Flight Attendants Cite Wages, Scheduling
CUPE Local 5451 represents 175 PAL Airlines flight attendants based in St. John’s, Halifax, Montreal and Kitchener. The union says it has been negotiating with the airline since spring 2025, after the previous collective agreement expired April 30, 2025.
Outstanding issues identified by CUPE include wages, scheduling, working conditions and work-life balance.
“Our members show up every day to keep passengers safe and keep communities connected across PAL’s network of commercial flying, charters, and contracts such as Air Canada Express,” said Mark Rice, PAL flight attendant and president of CUPE 5451.
“They deserve a contract that recognizes the value of that work. We have reached a point where we need the assistance of a conciliator to help move negotiations forward.”
Compensation for work performed while aircraft are on the ground is also an issue.
Rice told CBC News that weather disruptions can make the impact particularly significant for PAL crews operating in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The issue of unpaid ground work has been a focus of recent flight attendant negotiations across Canada.
“Flight attendants across Canada are raising the bar and demanding fair compensation for all the work they do,” Rice said in CUPE’s statement. “PAL Airlines flight attendants deserve the same respect. Our members are united, and they are determined to achieve a fair agreement.”
Pilots Seek Scheduling Changes
PAL pilots have also requested conciliation after negotiating with the airline since July 2025.
Captain Conrad Reid, chair of the PAL ALPA Master Executive Council, told CBC that scheduling and work rules are among the pilots’ priorities.
Under the federal conciliation process, once a conciliator is appointed, the parties generally have up to 60 days to work toward an agreement. That is followed by a 21-day cooling-off period before legal job action can take place.
That means the move to conciliation does not mean a strike is imminent.
CUPE also says its priority remains reaching an agreement at the bargaining table.
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