Air Canada pilot strike looms as vote closes

An Air Canada pilot strike looms as a vote closes on Thursday.

A pilot vote for a strike mandate closes on Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. ET, the Air Canada Air Line Pilots Association, said in a post on social media.

Charlene Hudy, chair of the Air Canada Air Line Pilots Association Master Executive Council told news outlets she believes the pilots will give the union a “strong” strike mandate.

The pilots have been in contract negotiations since June 2023.

Concerns still on the table include scheduling, retirement and compensation issues, Hudy said.

There is a wide wage gap between Canadian pilots and their counterparts in the U.S. Many pilots’ salaries are half of their U.S. counterparts, Hudy said.

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“Air Canada pilots continue to fall behind our industry peers in total compensation who make significantly more for flying the same aircraft on the same routes,” Hudy said in the statement.

Air Canada has said it is actively working to reach an agreement and finalize a deal.

If a deal cannot be reached, the earliest pilots could strike is Sept. 17.