Air Canada pilots offered 30% pay raise to avert potential strike

Air Canada has proposed a pay enhance of round 30 p.c for greater than 5,000 pilots over the following three years to keep away from a possible strike, in accordance with BNN Bloomberg.  

The supply consists of an preliminary 20 p.c increase, adopted by annual will increase, with pilots of their first 4 years of service receiving a bigger increase, in accordance with unnamed sources accustomed to the negotiations. 

A captain with a decade of service flying a widebody plane, akin to a Boeing 777, and at present incomes $350,000 may see their wage enhance by greater than $100,000 through the contract’s time period. Air Canada’s supply additionally consists of enhancements to pension and well being advantages. 

The negotiations between Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Affiliation (ALPA) have been ongoing for over a yr. The earlier 10-year settlement, ratified in 2014, supplied pilots with annual raises of about two p.c. Pilots haven’t obtained a increase since final yr.  

ALPA has beforehand said that Air Canada pilots earn lower than half of what their friends within the trade are paid. 

Charlene Hudy, the pinnacle of ALPA’s native unit, didn’t touch upon the specifics of the supply however highlighted that low entry-level wages stay a important concern. “One-quarter of our pilots have a second job, with virtually 80 p.c needing the job out of necessity,” she famous. 

A gathering is anticipated later this week. Hudy talked about final week that discussions had “fully stalled.” In August, 98 p.c of the pilots voted to provide the union the authority to strike, with the potential for a walkout by mid-September if no settlement is reached. 

In response, Air Canada launched a rebooking coverage for purchasers travelling between September 15 and 23. 

The union is pushing to cut back the pay hole with main US airways, which have just lately supplied important pay raises to their pilots.  

For instance, final yr, ALPA negotiated a four-year settlement with United Airways that included compensation will increase of as much as 40 p.c, with a direct pay hike of between 13.8 p.c and 18.7 p.c. 

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick expressed the corporate’s want to keep up its pilots because the highest-paid in Canada. “We’re open to any answer to achieve an affordable settlement, together with arbitration,” Fitzpatrick stated.