Air Canada pilots to hold informational picket at airports ahead of possible strike

On the heels of the Air Canada pilots authorizing a strike vote, the pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), will be conducting a nationwide informational picket on Tuesday (August 27) across all Air Canada bases (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Winnipeg). 

According to a press release, hundreds of Air Canada pilots, alongside peers from other airlines, will participate to demonstrate their resolve and solidarity in modernizing a decade-old contract.

“Our goal is to reach an agreement; however, our employer 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. After more than a year of negotiations, management must now realize that if they fail to reach an agreement, they will be responsible for us withdrawing our services,” said F/O Charlene Hudy, chair of ALPA’s Air Canada Master Executive Council.

The ALPA has outlined the following times and locations for Tuesday's demonstrations. 

Toronto:

• Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Toronto Pearson International Airport – Terminal 1 Departures

Vancouver:

• Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT
• Location: Vancouver International Airport – Departures

Montreal:

• Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Montréal-Trudeau International Airport – Departures

Winnipeg:

• Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT
• Location: Winnipeg International Airport – Departures

An informational picket is not a formal strike. The demonstrations are typically held for the purpose of informing the public. Air Canada planes will still be flying as pilots participating in the picket will be on their day off.

Possible mid-September strike

The pilots entered federal conciliation with Air Canada at the end of June. If no agreement is reached by the end of the cooling-off period, Air Canada pilots will be in a position for a job action as early as mid-September. 

As PAX previously reported, the earliest possible job action would be Sept. 17.

Air Canada, earlier this month, said it was seeing progress in the talks. "Already, we have reached agreement on several items," an airline spokesperson told CBC on Aug. 14. "We are working actively to reach agreement on the remaining issues with an aim to finalize a deal over the next several weeks."

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