Hundreds of Air Transat pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), conducted informational picketing Monday in three key locations, the same day that the pilots began voting on a strike authorization ballot.
Well over 450 Air Transat pilots, joined by pilots from Air Canada, WestJet, Jazz, Porter, and a dozen U.S. airlines, attended the informational pickets at Pierre Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, and Air Transat’s corporate headquarters in Montreal.
“Today the Air Transat pilots showed their unity and resolve, supported by their fellow union pilots from across North America,” said Capt. Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat ALPA Master Executive Council. “At the same time, they now have the opportunity to vote on whether to go on strike if negotiations fail to produce a modern contract by Dec. 10.”
The Air Transat pilots opened contract negotiations with the airline in January of this year. The parties entered conciliation on Sept. 19, which was expected to conclude Nov. 18. Followed by a 21-day cooling-off period if a deal was not struck. The cooling-off period would end on Dec. 10, after which time the union can declare a strike or management can impose a lockout.
The strike ballot for Air Transat’s more than 700 pilots runs until Dec. 2. If approved, it would give union leadership the authority to declare a strike when legally authorized to do so.
The pilots’ goals are to achieve industry-standard pay, working conditions, and quality of life. Still, the two sides remain far apart on most key issues, with management bargaining slowly, as the deadline for a possible strike draws near.
“We showed today that we are fully prepared to walk out if that’s what it takes to improve our outdated, decade-old contract.” Small said. “We demand a modern contract, and we hope that management recognizes our resolve and comes back to the table ready to bargain in earnest.”
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