Air Canada pilots voted on Thursday to overwhelmingly approve a strike mandate, putting them in a position to walk off the job as early as Sept. 17. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 5,400 aviators at the country’s largest carrier, says the vote passed by 98 percent.

The employees have been negotiating with Air Canada since June 2023, with ongoing talks overseen by a federal conciliator.

That process is slated to wrap up this Monday, followed by a 21-day cooling-off period.

Charlene Hudy, head of the union’s Air Canada contingent, says the vote sends “a clear message to management” that pilots are willing to take job action to secure a better contract.

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau told analysts earlier this month that both sides were in agreement on several points and that he hopes to reach a deal in the coming weeks.

Huddy that union also hopes to avert a strike.

But, he added, “Management continues to force us closer to a strike position by not listening to our needs at the negotiating table regarding fair compensation, respectable retirement benefits, and quality-of-life improvements.”