(Bloomberg) -- Air Canada pilots voted to give their union a strike mandate as negotiations over a new labour agreement have been stalled for more than a year. Workers could walk off the job as soon as mid-September.
The Air Line Pilots Association, representing Air Canada’s more than 5,400 aviators, is in a federal conciliation process with Air Canada until August 26, which will be followed by a 21-day cooling off period. The workers will be in a legal strike position starting Sept. 17.
The unionized pilots gave the strike authorization Thursday morning with a majority of 98 per cent, with 98 per cent of members participating, ALPA said in a statement.
“Such a vote is a normal step in a negotiation process and does not mean that any disruption will take place,” Air Canada said by email.
The airline’s stock price remained relatively muted, decreasing by 0.9 per cent to $15.43 in Toronto at 12:40 p.m.
The union seeks to close the pay gap with large U.S. airlines, which have significantly increased their pilots’ pay lately. Canada’s No. 2 airline, Onex Corp.-owned WestJet Airlines Ltd., agreed to a contract in 2023 that included a 24 per cent compensation bump over four years.
Air Canada pilots are paid less than half of what industry counterparts get, according to the union.
“Management 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,” Charlene Hudy, the ALPA’s local head, said in the statement.
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