Air Canada pilots are preparing to vote on their next employment contract on October 1. However, doubts remain about its ratification.
A pilot told Open Jaw that the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), representing approximately 5,200 Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge pilots, provided members with the tentative agreement reached with Air Canada management. Air Canada on September 15.
This agreement is accompanied by a detailed list of proposed changes.
During presentations with ALPA representatives, pilots now ask questions about this agreement.
“No one is really satisfied with this agreement in principle,” said one pilot. “Junior pilots have not received the expected salary increases, and improvements in quality of life have not been achieved. We wonder if a “no” vote could lead to improvements or simply a dead end. »
The voting period will begin on October 1 and end on October 10 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, just before the Thanksgiving weekend, a time when many Canadians plan to travel.
A few minutes before a potential strike, on September 15, Air Canada announced that it had reached a four-year agreement in principle with ALPA. Worth $1.9 billion, the agreement provides for wage increases of 41.7% over four years.
However, according to a recent CTV News report, the deal’s “low entry-level salary” could pose a problem in the vote.
“Although the cumulative increase of 42% over four years applies to all crew members, many may feel excluded from these benefits,” the network noted.
Having avoided a strike, some pilots now fear that continuing pay restrictions could lead to backlash from pilots and jeopardize the deal.
Following Air Canada’s publication of the agreement on LinkedIn, Paul-André Babin, a co-pilot, commented: “This is a disappointing agreement in principle, I will vote no. »
It is important to mention that, earlier this year, Air Transat flight attendants twice rejected tentative agreements proposed by the company, before finally reaching an agreement.
It is not yet clear what will happen if Air Canada pilots reject the tentative agreement between the union and company management.
Related News :