Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat is winding down operations after receiving a strike notice from its 750-strong pilots’ union, with potential labour action looming on 10 December.
The airline has issued a notice to customers that itineraries may be disrupted by flight cancellations as a result of the labour dispute.
Transat said on 7 December that it had received a strike notice from the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), after union members voted “overwhelmingly” to authorise a strike last week.
Both sides say they could reach a collective bargaining agreement before the planned walk-out begins. Airline management says it is working “around the clock” to avoid strike action, but Transat has begun a multi-day draw-down of flight activity as a precaution.
”While a negotiated agreement remains possible, this notice requires the company to pro-actively implement an action plan and proceed with the gradual and orderly suspension of its operations over the next three days to prevent the consequences of a sudden, unplanned interruption,” Transat says.
Air Transat began suspending flights on 8 December, with more network cuts to follow on 9 December. The strike could begin as soon as 03:00 local time in Montreal.
The airline company says it has extended an offer to ALPA that includes a 59% salary increase over five years, and improvements to working conditions for pilots. It considers the union’s demands “unreasonable” and characterises a more-lucrative compensation package as a potential financial anchor on the company.
“This strike notice is premature given the progress made at the bargaining table and the generous offers made by Air Transat,” says Julie Lamontagne, Transat’s chief human resources officer. ”We have demonstrated a serious commitment throughout the process and a sincere willingness to reach an agreement by proposing several compromises and improvements that address the pilots’ demands.”
ALPA, meanwhile, says it has been working for nearly a year to replace the pilots’ 2015 agreement and “achieve a modern contract with industry-standard pay, benefits, work rules and job security”.
The airline is hoping to avoid a multi-day shutdown due to labour negotiations, like Air Canada’s flight attendant walkout during peak July air travel.
Transat operates a long-haul network out of Toronto and Montreal that reaches Europe, Africa and Latin America with Airbus A330s and A321neos.
