Travellers, business groups and politicians expressed fervent relief on Sunday after Air Canada and the union representing thousands of its pilots negotiated a new labour deal and averted a disruptive, countrywide shutdown.
Canada's largest air carrier announced shortly after midnight Sunday that it had reached a tentative, four-year collective agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association.
The deal, reached after more than a year of contract negotiations, ended the possibility that the 5,200 Air Canada pilots represented by the union could be locked out or walk off the job. Any such move would have forced the airline to suspend nearly all operations, a prospect that raised concerns among business groups, passengers and even the prime minister.
At Toronto's Pearson International Airport, travellers preparing for Sunday departures were breathing a sigh of relief.
“I wasn’t looking forward to an Air Canada strike, because I booked this ticket like a month and a half back, so a last-minute change would have been pretty bad," said Arjun Pandit, who was heading to New York City for work. "It would have halted the entire trip."
Donna Holloway, who had booked a connecting flight to Chicago, said she hadn't made any back-up plans and would have tried to change her flight at the airport if a work stoppage had been announced. She received an email Sunday morning saying her flight was still scheduled. “I was really confident that they would settle the dispute and so far I’ve been happy," she said.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon issued a statement shortly after the deal was announced praising both sides for avoiding a work stoppage.
"Thanks to the hard work of the parties and federal mediators, disruptions have been prevented for Canadians," MacKinnon said on social media. "I wish to salute the efforts of Air Canada and its pilots, who approached the discussions with seriousness and a resolve to get a deal."
The tentative agreement averts a strike or lockout that could have begun as early as Wednesday for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, with flight cancellations expected before then.
"The new agreement recognizes the contributions and professionalism of Air Canada's pilot group, while providing a framework for the future growth of the airline," the carrier said in a statement.
It said Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge will continue to operate as normal while union members vote on the tentative four-year contract.
Air Canada said the terms of the new deal will remain confidential pending a ratification vote by the membership, expected to be completed over the next month, and approval by the airline's board of directors.
The union issued a statement after midnight Sunday, saying if ratified, the tentative agreement will generate an approximate additional $1.9 billion of value for Air Canada pilots over the course of the agreement.
"The consistent engagement and unified determination of our pilots have been the catalyst for achieving this contract," said First Officer Charlene Hudy, chair of the Air Canada ALPA MEC.
The deal also represents progress on several key issues including compensation, retirement and work rules, she added.
Air Canada said customers who changed flights originally scheduled between Sunday and Sept. 23 under its labour disruption plan can change their booking back to their original flight in the same cabin at no cost, provided there is space available.
A full-scale shutdown seemed likely in the days leading up to Sunday's announcement. The two sides had said they remained far apart on the issue of pay, a central sticking point in the negotiations that had stretched for more than a year.
The pilots' union argued Air Canada continued to post record profits while expecting pilots to accept below-market compensation. It had also said about a quarter of pilots report taking on second jobs, with about 80 per cent of those doing so out of necessity.
The airline said it had offered salary increases of more than 30 per cent over four years, plus improvements to benefits, and said the union was being inflexible with "unreasonable wage demands."
Air Canada and numerous business groups had called on the government to intervene in the matter, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Canadian and U.S. Chambers of Commerce.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce joined the chorus of those voicing relief on Sunday.
"We hope to see (the tentative agreement) ratified by membership in the coming month, putting an end to the uncertainty of Canadian travellers, as well as businesses and communities who depend on Air Canada's cargo network every day," CEO Candace Laing said in a statement.
The union vehemently opposed government intervention, with ALPA President Capt. Tim Perry issuing a Friday statement asking Ottawa to respect workers’ collective rights and refrain from getting involved in the bargaining process. He said government intervention violates the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians.
For his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was up to the two sides to hash out a deal.
Trudeau said Friday the government wasn't just going to step in and fix the issue, something it did promptly after both of Canada's major railways saw lockouts in August and during a strike by WestJet mechanics on the Canada Day long weekend.
He said the government respects the right to strike and would only intervene if it became clear no negotiated agreement was possible.
Air Canada had already begun preparing for a possible shutdown, saying its cargo service had stopped accepting items such as perishables and indicating a wind-down plan for passenger flights would take effect if a notice of a strike or lockout was issued.
The tentative deal averts travel disruptions for the 670 daily flights on average operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, and the travel of more than 110,000 passengers.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
— With files from Ritika Dubey in Toronto
Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
Andrew Garfield’s ability to so lovingly and poetically express his grief for his mother, Linda, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a gift of connection, and, perhaps, catharsis, to anyone experiencing loss.
Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
A British Columbia provincial court judge says a Boston Bar man who shot a teacup Chihuahua named Bear claiming it was menacing his chickens was not justified in killing the animal.
The minority Liberal government is not considering proroguing Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday, despite persisting uncertainty over who is willing to keep propping them up and procedural wrangling over a Conservative led-privilege debate.
The leaders of B.C.'s main political parties sparred over health care, housing, and affordability Tuesday, pitching competing visions for how to address the most urgent issues facing the province in a debate punctuated by a few feisty exchanges.
Some sparks flew during Tuesday night’s televised leaders’ debate between David Eby, John Rustad and Sonia Furstenau, as the trio had impassioned conversations about the issues that are on many British Columbians’ minds ahead of election night, including housing, health care, the cost of living and public safety.
An open letter signed by 23 doctors and one nurse practitioner in B.C.’s Lower Mainland highlights their concerns about the potential for cuts to the health-care system if John Rustad’s Conservatives form government after this month’s provincial election.
Amazon has just launched a new service in Canada where delivery drivers can drop packages off directly in garages for those who want to protect their parcels from being swiped by porch pirates.
Another beluga whale has died at Marineland and four years into a provincial probe, Ontario's solicitor general is saying little about the investigation's progress.
Four people have been transported to hospital following a collision near Toronto’s Forest Hill neighbourhood early Wednesday morning, paramedics say.
Calgary police are searching for a suspect or suspects in a stabbing that occurred in the city's southeast on Tuesday evening.
If you were outside and looked up Monday night, you likely witnessed one of Mother Nature's most spectacular displays.
A teen recording artist from Fernie, B.C., who made music with the Flaming Lips has died. Nell Smith's family confirmed her death in a social media post earlier this week.
As thousands of Canadians are on the hunt for deals during Amazon Prime Day this week, cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm over an increase in fraudsters posing as the company online.
On September 11, Madeleine Gervais was the victim of a theft in Ottawa's west end. It happened in the Loblaws parking lot in College Square, when she was approached by a man and a woman who insisted to help her load her groceries into her car.
OC Transpo officials are satisfied with the start of a critical testing period required before opening Ottawa's new north-south train, despite some technical issues being identified on three trains on Monday.
The Quebec government is facing criticism for a program that paid students to learn a construction skill -- as less than half the graduates are certified to work in the industry.
The Montreal women's professional soccer franchise unveiled the team's name and logo on Tuesday night, projecting the new emblem and the club's blue, red and gold colours around an event space near the city's Old Port. They will be the Roses FC.
A 38-year-old Beaumont resident is dead after a crash involving a motorcycle over the weekend.
Edmonton's transit system is seeing record usage, with six million trips taken in September.
One of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s key advisers and the driving force behind the province’s recovery-focused addiction treatment policy is leaving the job.
International award-winning editorial cartoonist Michael de Adder has been cut from the Halifax Chronicle Herald.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
A labour investigator has agreed with federal fishery officers that heavily armed criminals pose a threat to their lives and has ordered managers to take steps immediately to reduce the danger.
Concerns are being raised over a questionable PC campaign expense, after an invoice for a car rental was submitted by a company advertising sex and intimacy coaching.
There’s a new starting line-up at Canada Life Centre, which hockey fans and concertgoers will notice as soon as they walk in.
Manitoba RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service are launching Manitoba's Most Wanted website.
Erin Folk and her family are dealing with a nightmare of a situation, after their pet dogs were shot last week.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHSS) appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada Tuesday challenging a regulation that it says lets provincial correctional workers discipline inmates without sufficient proof.
A memo from the Saskatchewan Government Employees Union (SGEU) has painted a picture of healthcare workers on the brink – with under-staffing and burnout directly impacting quality of patient care within the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA).
Fire crews were called to respond to Mohawk Plaza shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The future of a hybrid shelter in Waterloo is up for discussion.
An app developed at the University of Guelph is aimed at making accessible doors more accessible.
The province’s consumer watchdog is investigating a Saskatoon company selling luxury vacation condos in Mexico.
In the wake of a near-fatal overdose at the doorstep of Saskatoon’s safe consumption site last week, the province’s political leaders are weighing in with their strategies to help those struggling with drug addiction.
A Saskatoon mom is desperately fighting eviction after she discovered mould in her suite and reported it to her landlord.
A crash Tuesday afternoon on Highway 144 has closed the road north of Sudbury.
After reaching peak intensity with wind speeds of 180 m.p.h. (285 km/h) on Monday night, Milton became the strongest storm on our planet for 2024.
Police in Huntsville are investigating a deadly single-vehicle collision that happened Tuesday morning.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Drivers and businesses along Wellington Street in London’s downtown area continue to feel the pain as the city works on the downtown loop for the bus rapid transit project (BRT).
City hall’s restoration of the People and the City monument has been stalled since early 2022, and a plan to resume the project next spring requires more money.
A person remains in serious condition in hospital after being shot during a gas station robbery.
A 20-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a speeding car that struck and killed an international student in Barrie last summer pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death on Tuesday but will not spend any time behind bars.
Police in Huntsville are investigating a deadly single-vehicle collision that happened Tuesday morning.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
In February, council voted to convert the property into new high-density housing — meaning the new development would have a minimum of 109 units.
Several cars are being pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor.
The leaders of B.C.'s main political parties sparred over health care, housing, and affordability Tuesday, pitching competing visions for how to address the most urgent issues facing the province in a debate punctuated by a few feisty exchanges.
Some sparks flew during Tuesday night’s televised leaders’ debate between David Eby, John Rustad and Sonia Furstenau, as the trio had impassioned conversations about the issues that are on many British Columbians’ minds ahead of election night, including housing, health care, the cost of living and public safety.
A retrial date has been set for a man accused of fatally shooting a rival gang member and an innocent teen passerby in Vancouver in 2018.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Charges have been laid against a 44-year-old man following a traffic stop in Brocket, Piikani Nation RCMP said Tuesday.
A metal fabrication company west of Medicine Hat has been fined by Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) following a workplace fatality in 2023.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is the latest organization to call on the Doug Ford government to re-open dialogue with an airline service that transports lower-income Canadians to crucial medical care far from home.
For decades, Mississauga First Nation has known that human remains from their land were at the Canadian Museum of History.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.
The minority Liberal government is not considering proroguing Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday, despite persisting uncertainty over who is willing to keep propping them up and procedural wrangling over a Conservative led-privilege debate.
Former cabinet minister Marc Garneau, who describes himself in his new book as always-a-Liberal, 'but a decidedly blue one,' says he hopes the party still has room for someone like him.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
The Brazilian Supreme Court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday authorized the restoration of social media platform X´s service in Brazil, over a month after its nationwide shutdown, according to a statement posted on the court's website.
Geoffrey Hinton, the British Canadian computer scientist whose machine learning discoveries have proved so profound he's known as the 'godfather of AI,' has won the Nobel Prize in physics.
A device used by researchers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada appears to have been the victim of an attack by a great white shark 300 metres under water off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Andrew Garfield’s ability to so lovingly and poetically express his grief for his mother, Linda, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a gift of connection, and, perhaps, catharsis, to anyone experiencing loss.
Jenna Fischer is highlighting Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sharing that she is now 'cancer free' after she was diagnosed with the disease in October 2023.
Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley alleges in his new memoir that he was pressured into a secret sexual relationship with his former manager, Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori.
As Hurricane Milton makes its way towards Florida, the storm has forced Orlando's theme parks to adjust. Here's a look at what's happening with Universal Resort, SeaWorld and Walt Disney World.
A man who showed up at a rental car company only to be told his online reservation would not be honoured is entitled to compensation, B.C.'s small claims tribunal has ruled.
Inflation and higher interest rates have eroded Canadians' purchasing power since 2022, particularly for lower-income households, a new report from the parliamentary budget officer has found.
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
A Winnipeg baker is hanging up his apron permanently because he won the lottery.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week.
RJ Barrett will miss the rest of the Toronto Raptors' pre-season with an injury.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator program”. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
