Air Canada pilots have approved a new collective agreement between the airline and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) union following a pay dispute that almost resulted in strike action.
Last month, Air Canada was preparing for industrial action by pilots represented by the ALPA after talks over pay and conditions broke down at the end of August.
The airline had said on September 9 that cargo operations were under threat and it was “finalising contingency plans to suspend most of its operations”.
However, the two reached a tentative agreement on September 15 and the industrial action was put on hold while voting on the proposed deal took place. On October 1o, Air Canada announced the positive ratification vote.
The four-year agreement, retroactive to September 30, 2023, covers more than 5,200 pilots at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.
"We are very pleased this new collective agreement has been approved by our pilot group," Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive of Air Canada.
"The agreement is mutually beneficial and it will keep our pilots the best compensated in Canada and provide the work-life balance improvements they were seeking.
"At the same time, the agreement gives our company flexibility and creates a framework for future growth of the airline and its network. We look forward to working with our pilots under this renewed partnership."
Preparations for potential pilot strike action had been underway since August, when discussions over pay and conditions broke down after 15 months of discussions.
The airline had said that unless a pay agreement was reached with ALPA, from September 15, operations could be impacted by a 72-hour strike or lock out notice and this would trigger the carrier’s three-day wind down plan, with flights progressively cancelled over three days.
Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge presently operate close to 670 daily flights on average.
In the event of a complete shutdown of operations, Air Canada estimated it would take up to 7 to 10 days to resume normal operations.
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