The vote, by more than 5,200 pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), approved a Four-Year Collective Agreement between the association and the airline. 67% voted in favour of the agreement, averting a strike.
The agreement, retroactively effective from 30 September 2023, will see a cumulative wage hike of nearly 42% over 4 years.
The rise exceeds the gains achieved last year by pilots at the three biggest US airlines, who won increases of between 34 and 40 %, although they started at a higher baseline.
In response to the vote, Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada said:
“We are very pleased this new collective agreement has been approved by our pilot group. 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.
The prevention of a potential strike will be welcome news to both the airline and passengers. Had it gone ahead, it would have impacted around 110,000 passengers daily.
Around 99% of eligible pilots voted in the ballot, according to the union. The 67% vote in favour of the agreement, means that approximately one-third of pilots voted to reject the deal indicating that there are still divisions within the airline.
Whether divisions over issues such as pay and work-life balance will impact operations in the future remains to be seen. But, for now, passengers and the airline can breathe a sigh of relief.
Do you think that ongoing divisions may cause potential strike action in the future? Share your views in the comment section below.
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