Air Transat Pilots Overwhelmingly Authorize strike
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Air Transat Pilots Overwhelmingly Authorize strike
BusinessWire · Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010
The pilots of Air Transat, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), resoundingly support conducting a lawful strike if a collective agreement is not reached with their management. In a recent strike ballot issued by the union leadership to the pilot group, an overwhelming 97 percent of pilots voted in favour of a lawful strike, should it become necessary to conclude a fair collective agreement with Air Transat management. The pilots have been in negotiations since January of this year.
“This vote serves as notice to the company that our pilots are united and stand firm behind our goal of achieving a fair and equitable contract,” said Captain Sylvain Aubin, chairman of the Air Transat Master Executive Council (MEC), the unit of ALPA that represents Air Transat pilots. Of the pilots eligible to vote, more than 90 percent participated in the balloting. “Our pilots are seeking a contract that recognizes their contribution to the success of the airline that they have helped to build,” Captain Aubin added.
In June, Air Transat pilots received a $1 million grant from ALPA’s Major Contingency Fund (MCF), which provides pilot groups with the resources needed for responding when threats to their jobs and their profession are imminent. “While Air Transat pilots consider a strike a matter of last resort, this vote demonstrates their steadfast unity in achieving their contract goals,” said Captain John Prater, ALPA’s president. “If the pilots of Air Transat choose to declare a strike, it will be conducted with the extensive resources and the full backing of the nearly 53,000 pilots ALPA represents.”
On June 25, Canada’s Minister of Labour, Lisa Raitt, appointed Ms. Maureen Flynn to serve as conciliation commissioner. The conciliation time line establishes a series of hard deadlines for negotiators, including a 60-day conciliation period that will expire on September 10, 2010, unless the parties agree to extend the process. Under the Canada Labour Code, both the strike authorization vote and written notification to the company are required steps before any withdrawal of services can begin. At the end of conciliation, a mandatory 21-day waiting period will go into effect, which concludes at midnight on October 1, at which time Air Transat pilots will be in a legal position to strike.
After more than six months of bargaining, substantial issues remain open, particularly in the areas of job outsourcing, pilot fatigue mitigation, and compensation, according to Aubin. The pilots continue to work under a contract that has seen no adjustments to allowances to pension or benefits, and adjustments to concessionary pay scales have fallen well below the rate of inflation.
The pilots of Air Transat, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), resoundingly support conducting a lawful strike if a collective agreement is not reached with their management. In a recent strike ballot issued by the union leadership to the pilot group, an overwhelming 97 percent of pilots voted in favour of a lawful strike, should it become necessary to conclude a fair collective agreement with Air Transat management. The pilots have been in negotiations since January of this year.
“This vote serves as notice to the company that our pilots are united and stand firm behind our goal of achieving a fair and equitable contract,” said Captain Sylvain Aubin, chairman of the Air Transat Master Executive Council (MEC), the unit of ALPA that represents Air Transat pilots. Of the pilots eligible to vote, more than 90 percent participated in the balloting. “Our pilots are seeking a contract that recognizes their contribution to the success of the airline that they have helped to build,” Captain Aubin added.
In June, Air Transat pilots received a $1 million grant from ALPA’s Major Contingency Fund (MCF), which provides pilot groups with the resources needed for responding when threats to their jobs and their profession are imminent. “While Air Transat pilots consider a strike a matter of last resort, this vote demonstrates their steadfast unity in achieving their contract goals,” said Captain John Prater, ALPA’s president. “If the pilots of Air Transat choose to declare a strike, it will be conducted with the extensive resources and the full backing of the nearly 53,000 pilots ALPA represents.”
On June 25, Canada’s Minister of Labour, Lisa Raitt, appointed Ms. Maureen Flynn to serve as conciliation commissioner. The conciliation time line establishes a series of hard deadlines for negotiators, including a 60-day conciliation period that will expire on September 10, 2010, unless the parties agree to extend the process. Under the Canada Labour Code, both the strike authorization vote and written notification to the company are required steps before any withdrawal of services can begin. At the end of conciliation, a mandatory 21-day waiting period will go into effect, which concludes at midnight on October 1, at which time Air Transat pilots will be in a legal position to strike.
After more than six months of bargaining, substantial issues remain open, particularly in the areas of job outsourcing, pilot fatigue mitigation, and compensation, according to Aubin. The pilots continue to work under a contract that has seen no adjustments to allowances to pension or benefits, and adjustments to concessionary pay scales have fallen well below the rate of inflation.
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Congratulation, it is a great show of unity and determination in your vote (participation and results).
Hopefully there will be no political interference (as previously done in the Jazz negots).
Bonne chance.
Hopefully there will be no political interference (as previously done in the Jazz negots).
Bonne chance.
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Considering that Transat is a publicly traded vacation provider by choice and airline by neccesity means they march to the drum of quarterly results. Pilots (amongst others) are means to an end; don't think they don't have a scenario for this considering their willingness to outsource.
Wonderful to wave the solidarity banner but Hamburger Helper get's old real quick; unfortunately no one wins anything of substance.
Wonderful to wave the solidarity banner but Hamburger Helper get's old real quick; unfortunately no one wins anything of substance.
