Financial Planning

Air Canada Flights Head to Resign if Pilots Reject Deal

Irfan Ameer
Irfan Ameer
6 Min Read

The head of the Air Canada Flights pilots union says that she will step down if members do not approve the tentative deal with the airline. Thus, this goes onto raising the stakes as aviators mull whether to accept the hefty salary gains or drive an even harder bargain.

Contents
More on Air Canada Flights…Opinion on Resignation of Air Canada Flights ChiefAir Canada Flights: How is Experience Known to Affect the Pilot’s Ages?Conclusion

Charlene Hudy, who is known to chair the Air Canada Flights contingent of the Air Line Pilots Association, told her fellow employees in a virtual town hall Friday that she “will have no choice but to resign” if they vote down the would-be contract.

“If the membership votes no to this [tentative agreement], it would clearly indicate to the public, media, government and company that I no longer speak on your behalf,” she said in a question-and-answer session that followed the online gathering.

The Canadian Press has strongly obtained a copy of her statement and confirmed it with two pilots.

“If I stayed, it would be to your detriment,” Hudy said.

The contract, reached last weekend after more than a year of negotiations. This averted a strike that would have seen some 670 flight cancellations and 110,000 passengers affected on a daily basis.

More on Air Canada Flights…

The deal would be known to grant the carrier’s 5,400 pilots a cumulative wage hike. This would be of nearly 42 per cent over a span of four years. Plus, the increase outstrips major gains won last year by pilots at the three biggest U.S. airlines. This was where pay bumps ranged between 34 and 40 per cent which hints at starting from a higher baseline.

However, despite the big top-line figure, the agreement has faced scrutiny from some pilots. This was particularly seen in more recent recruits who are unimpressed with the ongoing pay gap. This was between newer employees and their more experienced colleagues.

Opinion on Resignation of Air Canada Flights Chief

Warnings about resignation by union officials are not unheard of on a higher basis. Furthermore, it is also known to aim to drive home the merits of a tentative deal. This was stated by Michael Bjorge, who teaches history at Dalhousie University with a specialization in industrial relations.

“Oftentimes in bargaining, especially when people have been at the table for a significant period of time, they just say, ‘this is the best we can get’ and they often honestly believe that,” Bjorge said.

“In reality, of course, you never really know what you can get until you push to the maximum.”

Air Canada Flights: How is Experience Known to Affect the Pilot’s Ages?

The current contract state that the pilots earn far less in their first four years at the company. This was before they would get into enjoying a big wage hike starting in year five.

Some employees had been pushing to fully scrap the so-called “fixed rate” provision. This is where earnings stay flat. This is regardless of the type of aircraft flown in which typically the wages increase with the size of the plane. However, the proposed deal announced on Sep 15 would merely cut the four-year period of lower pay to two years. This was according to a copy of the contract obtained by The Canadian Press.

In three and four years, wages would be substantially lower. This would le lower than in year five. Plus, the hourly rate jumps by nearly 40 per cent in the fifth year. This would be a far greater leap than in any other period, the agreement shows of Air Canada Flights.

Conclusion

On the assumption that pilots work roughly 75 hours per month. This is a common baseline in the industry. Newer recruits would earn between $75,700 and $134,000 versus almost $187,000 in year five, and more than $367,000 for an experienced captain flying a Boeing 777.

Experts say well over a third of the carrier’s roughly 5,200 active pilots may earn entry-level wages following a recent hiring surge. Many come on board after lengthy careers at other airlines, rather than straight out of Air Canada Flights school.

Plus, the provisions around scheduling and quality of life will also factor into pilots’ considerations. This is ahead of a ratification vote, which is poised to take place in the coming weeks.

“By the time they first start working, it’s often the time they’re having children. So if mom or dad’s going to be gone for significant periods of time, that’s really hard on families,” Bjorge said on Air Canada Flights matter.

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