Air Canada's pilots are still prepared to strike if their employer doesn't reach an agreement with them on benefits and wages.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Canada, the union representing Air Canada's pilots, can legally issue a 72-hour strike notice as early as Sept. 17.
Air Canada has proposed a 30 per cent wage increase for over 5,000 of its pilots over the next three years. However, the union has previously expressed it wants salaries commensurate with their U.S. counterparts.
First Officer Charlene Hudy, chair of Air Canada’s ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC) told V.I.A. the union hopes to avoid a strike and wants to see significant changes to the pilots' outdated contract.
"Due to the confidential nature of negotiations, we cannot comment on specific proposals that are being passed between the parties at the negotiating table," she said.
Air Canada pilots want to see "more movement" on key issues, including wages
ALPA is meeting with the airline this week and hopes to see "more movement" on the remaining items.
"Percentage increases would vary depending on the seniority of the pilot," Hudy added. "For example, the higher percentile increases would be for our most junior members, who are kept on entry-level wages for the first four years after they come to Air Canada, salaries that are up to half of our [competitor] airlines."
Hudy noted that pilots live in major Canadian cities and their current salaries make it difficult to sustain a family.
"One-quarter of our pilots have a second job, with almost 80 per cent of those needing the job out of necessity. We are trying to change that. Additionally, due to our latest 10-year contract, our compensation has not kept up with inflation, nor the levels of our peer carriers."
The union says Air Canada's proposals fall "substantially short" of recently ratified contracts at comparative U.S.-based airlines, such as United, Delta, and American.
"We are focused on achieving a deal with Air Canada. We are asking them to show up, negotiate, and close the gap. We have a concern with the wages. The pilots I represent are making half of what pilots in the U.S. do," she said.
Air Canada has a flexible change policy for flights
Air Canada has implemented flexible change policies for travellers who booked flights when its pilots may commence strike action.
Air Canada's Goodwill Rebooking Policy allows travellers flying in the period immediately preceding and after the end of the cooling-off period on Sept. 17 to change their already purchased travel plans for free.
Air Canada has a webpage dedicated to the pilot talks and other negotiations.
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