Travellers, business groups and politicians expressed relief Sunday after Air Canada and the union representing thousands of its pilots negotiated a new collective agreement and avoided a disruptive countrywide shutdown.
Canada’s largest airline announced shortly after midnight Sunday that it had reached a tentative four-year collective agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association.
The deal, reached after more than a year of contract negotiations, ended the possibility that Air Canada’s 5,200 union-represented pilots could be locked out or walk off the job. Such a move would have forced the airline to suspend nearly all operations, a prospect that has raised concerns among business groups, passengers and even the prime minister.
At Toronto Pearson International Airport, travelers preparing for Sunday’s departures breathed a sigh of relief.
“I wasn’t looking forward to Air Canada going on strike because I had booked this ticket about a month and a half ago, so a last-minute change would have been pretty bad,” said Arjun Pandit, who was flying to New York for work. “It would have disrupted the whole trip.”
Donna Holloway, who had booked a connecting flight to Chicago, said she had no backup plan and would have tried to change her flight at the airport if a work stoppage had been announced. She received an email Sunday morning saying her flight was still scheduled.
“I was really sure that they would resolve the conflict and so far I am satisfied,” she explained.
The tentative agreement avoids a strike or lockout that could have started as early as Wednesday for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, with flight cancellations expected before that date.
“The new agreement recognizes the contributions and professionalism of Air Canada’s pilot group, while providing a framework for the airline’s future growth,” the carrier said in a statement.
Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge will continue to operate normally while union members vote on the four-year interim contract.
Air Canada said terms of the new agreement will remain confidential pending a ratification vote by members, expected to take place within the next month, and approval by the airline’s board of directors.
Air Canada and numerous business groups have called on the government to intervene in the matter, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Canadian and U.S. chambers of commerce.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce joined the chorus of those expressing relief on Sunday.
“We hope to see [l’accord provisoire] ratified by members in the coming month, ending uncertainty for Canadian travellers, as well as the businesses and communities that rely on Air Canada’s cargo network every day,” Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Laing said in a statement.