Air Transat pilots have filed notice to beginning bargaining with the company over a new contract with the warning, “We want management to know we are ready to fight for a contract that addresses the concerns of our pilots and brings stability to our airline.”

Last week, the Air Transat Master Executive Council (MEC) of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) provided the formal notice to bargain required by section 49 of the Canada Labour Code to Air Transat management, formally opening contract negotiations with the employer in relation to the pilot group’s new collective agreement.

“We have a collective agreement that dates back to 2015. We will negotiate a contract that reflects the current standard within Canada’s aviation sector, similar to those recently negotiated by Air Canada and WestJet,” said Capt. Bradley Small, Air Transat MEC chair. “We want management to know… our pilot group is united.”

ALPA says its negotiators have been tasked with “solving several significant problems: employment protection, salary conditions, pilot group insurance, and retirement conditions,” adding, “These have fallen far behind other Canadian airlines, lacking career progression and improved quality-of-life provisions.”

Capt. Small added, “The message to management is simple: We won’t back down; it’s a matter of respect.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 79,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines.

If this article was shared with you by a friend or colleague, you may enjoy receiving your own copy of Travel Industry Today with the latest travel news and reviews each weekday morning. It’s absolutely free – just CLICK HERE.