MONTREAL- Air Canada (AC) pilots to vote on a landmark contract offer Today (October 10, 2024), with results expected shortly after the 10 a.m. deadline.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing 5,300 members, has been voting since October 1 on what is described as the most lucrative contract in the airline’s history.
Air Canada Pilots Contract
Charlene Hudy, leader of ALPA’s Air Canada bargaining unit, has staked her position on the outcome, pledging to resign if the deal is rejected. The consequences of a potential rejection remain uncertain, the star asserted.
A strike or lockout scenario would require 72 hours’ notice from either the union or the company, respectively. This voting process follows intense negotiations and reflects the ongoing challenges in the aviation industry’s labor relations.
Air Canada pilots to vote on a four-year contract offering nearly 40% wage increases. The deal proposes a 26% raise in the first year, retroactive to last year, followed by 4% annual increases. This agreement initially averted potential strikes or lockouts that could have disrupted over 600 daily flights, affecting 100,000 passengers.
Business groups in Canada and the U.S. had previously urged federal intervention to prevent a strike. The contract maintains a significant pay disparity between junior and senior pilots. First-year pilots’ salaries start at $75,700, while experienced wide-body aircraft pilots can earn up to $367,000.
Labor and industry experts suggest this wage gap likely influenced junior pilots to oppose the deal. The contract’s outcome will impact Air Canada’s operations and set precedents for airline industry labor negotiations.
UPDATE:
Air Canada pilots have approved a new four-year labor agreement with the airline, averting potential work stoppages. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) announced that 67% of its members voted in favor of the deal.
The ratification concludes 15 months of negotiations between Air Canada and the union, which represents over 5,200 pilots. The agreement addresses wage concerns, as pilots sought to narrow the pay gap with their American counterparts at carriers like United Airlines.
Strike Threat Averted
Earlier, Air Canada said it is prepared for potential strike if talks between airline and union fails. However, Pilot Union accepted the deal and voted in favor of it.
Air Canada and its regional carrier Air Canada Rouge currently operate close to 670 daily flights on average, transporting more than 110,000 passengers within Canada and internationally.
Every day, Air Canada flights bring approximately 24,000 Canadians back home from abroad and return about 15,000 foreign visitors to their home countries.
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