Politics likely pushed Air Canada toward a deal with ‘unheard of’ gains for pilots

MONTREAL — Experts say factors including public opinion and politics helped push Air Canada toward a deal that secured major wage gains for pilots.

Yesterday, the country’s biggest airline and the union representing more than 5,200 pilots announced they had reached a tentative agreement, averting a strike that would have grounded flights.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday the government would not step in to fix the impasse — unlike during a railway work stoppage last month and a strike by WestJet mechanics over the Canada Day long weekend.

Aviation expert John Gradek says Trudeau’s government was unlikely to consider back-to-work legislation after the NDP tore up its agreement to support the Liberal minority in Parliament.

Gradek says he believes public frustration over thousands of cancelled flights would have flowed toward Air Canada rather than Ottawa, prompting the carrier to concede to a deal yielding “unheard of” gains for employees.

Pilots are slated to vote in the coming weeks on the four-year contract, which one source says involves a 42 per cent wage hike.

Last year, pilots at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines secured agreements that included four-year pay boosts ranging from 34 per cent to 40 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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The Canadian Press