Air Canada pilots picket at Pearson airport as negotiations continue

Air Canada pilots are holding an “informational picket” outside of Toronto’s Pearson airport Friday, calling for better wages and working conditions on the day their 9-year deal with the country’s largest carrier expires.

Hundreds of pilots from the airline and others are expected to attend the demonstrations to voice their concerns surrounding pay and working conditions as talks between the union and company continue.

The Air Line Pilots Association began the bargaining process in June, just one day after fellow union members at WestJet ratified a new collective agreement.

The deal established by WestJet saw pilots receiving a 24 per cent pay raise over four years.

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Air Canada’s union, representing more than 5,000 pilots, is demanding job security, safety and better wages.

Both union and employer say the picket being held at Terminal 1 will not affect the airline’s flight schedule.

Canadian pilots have been seeking contract gains that will bring them closer to the deals secured by their counterparts in the U.S.

Between the months of March and September, pilots at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines secured agreements that included four-year pay hikes ranging from 34 per cent to 40 per cent.

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With wages increasing across the border, airlines in Canada have had pilots leaving for positions within the U.S. industry to secure better wages.

This move of pilots to American companies has created a pilot shortage that has been impacting the number of routes being offered by companies like Air Canada.

Air Canada says it remains engaged in productive discussions with the union and that the informational picket is a normal part of the bargaining process.

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