Airline and union to return to bargaining after 67 per cent of union turns down deal
The Air Canada Pilots Assiation (ACPA) has rejected the latest offer from the airline, the union announced today. With 98 per cent of eligible pilots taking part in the vote, 67 per cent have chosen to reject the agreement.
“The pilots have spoken,” said Capt. Paul Strachan, president of the ACPA, in a release. “We must return to the bargaining table to address their concerns.”
The union will review its collective bargaining strategy and proposals as a result of the vote that sent it back to negotiations, Strachan said.
Air Canada says that it is business as usual for the airline and that representatives will be contacting the union shortly to discuss next steps.
This recent offer would have seen new hires become members of a defined-contribution pension plan. It also covered details for the airline’s proposed new low-cost carrier service, which Air Canada says will create jobs for 462 pilots and three times as many flight attendants.
Members of the ACPA completed the 10-day ratification vote yesterday. The pilots have been without a collective agreement since March 31, 2011.
