Why you might see Air Canada pilots on picket lines ahead of a possible strike

Air Canada pilots will be taking to the picket lines next week in advance of a possible work stoppage.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said Friday that pilots from Canada’s largest air carrier will participate in a nationwide “informational picket” on Tuesday.

Pilots will be demonstrating at the international airports in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg, according to ALPA.

The demonstration does not constitute a formal strike and Air Canada planes will still be flying as pilots staffing the picket will be on their day off.

The move comes after the union announced Thursday that Air Canada pilots voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate should current negotiations fail to produce a new collective agreement.

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ALPA and Air Canada are currently in the process of federal conciliation, set to end on Monday. The parties will then enter into a 21-day cooling-off period, after which pilots will be in a legal position to strike sometime in mid-September.

Negotiations began in June 2023, with private mediation between the parties from January to June of this year as Air Canada pilots seek an update to their 2014 contracts.

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Pilots are seeking a hike in wages, retirement benefits and other quality-of-life improvements in the latest round of bargaining, Charlene Hudy, chair of the Air Canada ALPA Master Executive Council, told Global News following the strike vote results Thursday.

“Air Canada pilots sent an overwhelming message that they are resolved and unified and willing to do what it takes to get the contract that they have earned,” she said.

Air Canada put out a statement Thursday acknowledging the vote, calling it a “normal step in the negotiation process.” The airline said the vote does not mean any disruption will necessarily take place and reiterated that no action can happen before the current conciliation process ends.

“Air Canada remains committed to the bargaining process and will continue to work towards a fair and equitable collective agreement with ALPA that recognizes the contributions of our pilots and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of our company,” the statement read.

— with files from Global News’s Uday Rana

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