Air Canada May Start Cancelling Flights Ahead of Pilot Strike

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said in a statement yesterday that the airline may begin shutting down operations and cancelling flights as soon as possible before the strike deadline on Sunday.

According to Rosseau, labour stoppages might affect 80% of Air Canada’s passengers. When a strike or lockout notice is issued, the airline will initiate a “orderly shutdown” of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations.

His comments come as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union that represents Air Canada pilots in the labour conflict, announces that it will meet with Air Canada on Friday to try to reach an agreement.

The firm is scheduled to begin shutting down operations on Sunday, as discussions with more than 5,000 union pilots appear to have reached an impasse. Wages have stopped 15 months of discussions between Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Association.

If negotiations fail, the Montreal-based airline wants the government to request arbitration by this weekend.

Charlene Hudy, ALPA’s local director, said Air Canada’s request for arbitration is extremely disheartening. “Both parties should really try to get to the best deal possible without any government interference,” according to her. The union wants to reduce the wage disparity with US pilots.

Business groups urge intervention over Air Canada pilots strike

“Our goal is to reach a deal, but if there is no agreement by Saturday, we ask the government to be prepared to intervene to avoid these disruptions for Canadians,” Air Canada spokesman Christophe Hennebelle said Thursday in a phone interview. Arbitration is “a path that seems reasonable.”

The airline and the union were still in talks Thursday, but Hennebelle said there’s no guarantee of a resolution “because the union refuses to moderate its wage demands.”

The airline has already begun to decline cargo service orders, and some passenger cancellations may begin on Friday to avoid being detained abroad, according to Hennebelle.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon’s office stated in an emailed statement that it is committed to the collective bargaining process.

The government can request that the Canada Industrial Relations Board compel arbitration. When employees at the country’s two main railways went on strike last month, the administration requested that the CIRB intervene. The board issued a decision that sent staff back to work within days.

Air Canada has proposed to increase pilot compensation by around 30% over the next three years. The pilots haven’t had a rise since last year. The union will be able to issue a 72-hour strike notice on Sunday.

If there is no agreement, Air Canada could issue a lockout notice simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business asked all sides to guarantee that airline services continue and that an agreement is achieved at the table.

In a statement, CFIB president Dan Kelly stated, “If Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Association cannot reach an agreement, the federal government must be prepared to step in and impose binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation.”

He stated that it is the government’s job to ensure that small businesses and the economy do not face another costly disruption to Canada’s transport network.

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