Transat says that an “orderly suspension of operations” will begin today (Monday) after the airline’s pilots said they are prepared to strike as early as 3 a.m. Wednesday morning if a labour agreement between the sides is not reached. A complete suspension of flights will be in effect by Dec. 9, the company said.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) issued a 72-hour notice (required by law) on Sunday, threatening a labour disruption on the cusp of the busy holiday travel season.
The move comes after the union failed to reach a settlement with airline owners Transat A.T. Inc., following nearly a year of negotiations.
“There is still time to avoid a strike but unless significant progress is made at the bargaining table, we will strike if that’s what it takes to achieve a modern contract,” said Bradley Small, who chairs the union’s Air Transat contingent, in a release.
Transat said it is working around the clock to reach a deal but that flight cancellations will start to kick in Monday and ramp up over the following two days.
The airline will inform customers of cancelled flights “and the solutions put in place to assist them,” Transat said.
Both sides accused the other of failing to pull their weight in the bargaining process.
Small said that no pilot wants a work stoppage, “but Air Transat management has left us no choice.”
Transat human resources chief Julie Lamontagne said the union has shown “no openness” while also pointing to “progress made at the bargaining table.”
Given that progress, she said the pilots had made a “premature” move.
“It is regrettable that the union has expressed such indifference toward Transat, its employees and clients by choosing the path of a strike at this time of year – a reckless decision that does not reflect the state of negotiations,” she said in a release.
Transat claims it has offered aviators a 59% salary hike over five years and major improvements in working conditions.
Last week the pilots voted 99% in favour of a strike if necessary, with ballots cast by 98% of eligible pilots. A 21-day cooling off period that followed conciliation talks ends on Dec. 10, when the workers can strike or management can impose a lockout.
The union says it wants the new collective agreement to shore up job security and improve working conditions, compensation and quality of life.
Transat said due to the union’s possible strike notice, it must “must immediately begin planning for the cancellation of its flights and the repatriation of passengers, crews, and aircraft to prevent them from being stranded abroad if the strike occurs. The goal is to bring back everyone to their point of origin.”
It added, “The company deeply regrets the impact this disruption will have on travellers during this busy period.”
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