Will Air Canada pilots accept deal that will keep planes in the sky?

Air Canada and its more than 5,200 pilots reached a new four-year tentative agreement several weeks ago, but the deal is not yet officially done.

Ratification of the pact, agreed to over the Sept. 14-15 weekend, has been put to a vote of members of the pilots’ union. The vote opened Oct. 1 and concludes Thursday.

If the deal is rejected, Air Canada pilots flying out of Pearson Airport in Mississauga and across the country would again be in a position to strike.

Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Association, the union representing the pilots, averted a work stoppage when they agreed to the tentative deal in mid-September.

The pact was the culmination of more than a year of labour negotiations and it kept some 670 daily Air Canada flights in the air, many of which fly into and out of Pearson.

Terms of the tentative agreement remain confidential pending acceptance of the deal by both union members and Air Canada.

The Canadian Press reported earlier the deal would give pilots a wage hike of nearly 42 per cent over four years. Still, the tentative agreement has faced scrutiny from some pilots, particularly more recent recruits who aren’t happy with the ongoing pay gap between newer pilots and their more experienced colleagues.

During the lengthy negotiations, the pilots’ union contended Air Canada has continued to see record profits while asking its pilots to accept below-market salaries.

Prior to the tentative agreement being struck, Air Canada and numerous business groups had called on the federal government to intervene in the dispute, noting “swift action” was needed to avoid a work stoppage that would have had significant negative effects.

— With files from The Canadian Press