Air Transat Pilot Leaders Approve Strike Authorization Ballot
MONTREAL, P.Q.—Disappointed with the unsuccessful negotiations, pilot leaders at Air Transat will ask their members, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), to give them the authority to go on strike if an agreement can’t be reached by December 10.
The pilots' negotiating team reported that talks have been frustratingly slow, with the company spending minimal time at the bargaining table and taking months to submit counterproposals. This slow pace has only widened the gap between the pilots’ demands—aimed at achieving industry-standard pay and working conditions—and the company's inadequate and, at times, deeply disappointing offers.
“Our pilots have carried this airline through a decade of challenges, often at the expense of their own quality of life. The result is that our members are still stuck with outdated working conditions and some of the weakest benefits in the industry,” said Air Transat MEC chair Capt. Bradley Small.
“We lag behind our peers in virtually every aspect of pay, benefits, and job security,” Small added. “This is not about special treatment. It’s about catching up to 2025. It’s time to modernize the contract.”
ALPA opened contract negotiations with Air Transat in January of this year. The parties entered conciliation on September 19, which is expected to continue until November 18. If an agreement is not reached by then, a 21-day cooling-off period will begin the next day, on November 21.
“We do not want to strike—we want a modern contract that reflects the work we do. But if a walkout is what it takes, we are ready to do it, and we’re confident that our 700 members will overwhelmingly give us that authority,” Small said.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing more than 80,000 pilots at 43 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter WeAreALPA.
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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org
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