At least that is what John Gradek predicted, coordinator of the aviation management program at McGill University and former executive at Air Canada.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Air Canada was going through strong turbulence. For the second time in six years, the carrier found himself on the edge of the abyss, bordering on bankruptcy. Its debt amounted to $ 5.4 billion, including more than 660 million to reimburse in the short term.
To get out of financial setbacks, and avoid interruptions of services at all costs, “we sat with all our unions and we agreed on collective conventions of 10 years, which would give a chance to give stability to the company and not to be occupied by negotiations [de contrats]”, Said Soleil The General Vice-President and Air Canada Human Resources Chief Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, one day after the deposit of the advice of on-board agents.
These agreements also guaranteed the employment of employment of workers.
In 2014, Kellie Leitch, then Minister of Labor, had also praised the ten -year collective agreement concluded with the pilots, qualifying it as “historic”.
“It is quite new a collective agreement of 10 years,” admits Ms. Meloul-Wechsler.
Caught up in collective conventions
Today, the invoice for this decision catches up with the airline.
All collective agreements are due to a blow. The pilots in 2024, the on -board agents in 2025, and both voted for strike mandates.
Then, “in a year, a collective agreement will come to the long term, followed by another six months later,” said the general vice-president and head of human resources of the airline.
“Air Canada had peace for ten years. But the problem, at the end of such a long collective agreement, there is a serious catch -up to be made, ”says Gradek.
For example, the 5,400 drivers of the carrier had a salary increase of approximately 42 % over four years. As they work on average 75 hours a month, recruits now receive an annual salary between $ 75,700 and $ 134,000.
“Not a good idea”
More than a decade ago, at the time of the signing of collective agreements, life cost much cheaper, and neither parties at the negotiating table imagined that this cost would climb as much, underlines Barry Eidlin, associate professor of sociology at McGill University specializing in work conflicts.
“The wages negotiated ten years ago are not up to what is necessary to reach both ends, because of inflation,” he said, in the case of on-board agents.
“It is not a good idea to have collective conventions of such a length. Over time, there are problems that accumulate. This is why a ten-year collective agreement is rare, ”he continues.
According to Mr. Eidlin, the strike is a necessary evil in the renegotiation of collective agreements in this case.
“No one wants to strike. But without this right, the collective negotiation process is impossible, because the two parties must be on an equal footing at the negotiating table, and the only means of pressure of the employees remains the strike, “explains the professor.
The ten -year collective agreement of Air Canada Machinists expires on March 31, 2026.
“We hope to be able to sit at the negotiating table before his expiration,” said the Soleil The air coordinator for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Keith Aiken.
End your belt, it can still brew.