Air Canada pilots ratify labor agreement, eliminating risk of strike By Reuters

By Allison Lampert

MONTREAL – Air Canada pilots have voted to ratify a new four-year labor agreement with the country’s largest carrier, the union said Thursday, eliminating the risk of work stoppages despite concerns from some members about pay for entry-level airmen .

The deal received 67 percent of the vote in favor, said the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents the workers.

Air Canada avoided a strike in September by reaching a last-minute agreement with the union, which represents more than 5,200 of its pilots. But the tentative deal has been widely criticized by pilots on social media and even within the local union.

Airline union president Charlene Hudy said in a virtual meeting that she would resign if the deal was rejected, two Air Canada pilots told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

A local committee member quit his post citing “fundamental disagreement” with the direction the union was taking in presenting the membership agreement.

The airline has been at the bargaining table with the union for the past 15 months, with pilots demanding wages that narrow the pay gap with their American counterparts at carriers like United Airlines.