The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.62/No.32           September 14, 1998 
 
 
Air Canada Pilots Walk Out  

BY SUSAN BERMAN
TORONTO - Air Canada pilots walked off the job at 11:59 p.m. September 1. The 2,100 members of the Air Canada Pilots Association are demanding wage increases and improved working and safety conditions.

At Toronto's Pearson International Airport, hub for more than 1,000 pilots, about 20 pickets in full uniform marched near the Air Canada desk, handing out information flyers to passengers. "We're not trying to hold people hostage," explained picket coordinator Darryl Gunn. "We just want to get what's fair and ensure safety."

According to newspapers, 60,000 passengers were grounded the first day of the strike. Air Canada is the largest commercial airline in Canada.

Air Canada pilots earn between Can$28,000 and $200,000 per year (Can$1=US$0.70). The first two years they only receive the base salary of $28,000.

Starting in the third year, pilots get an additional profit share amount determined by the revenue generated on the flights they fly. According to Gunn, about 600 pilots started at Air Canada since 1995. The pilots are demanding a two-year contract with a 9 percent increase in salary each year to close the gap between their income and their counterparts at other North American carriers. The company has offered 3.5, 4, and 3.5 percent in the first three years of a five-year contract.

Air Canada pilots had given wage and work rule concessions in the early 1990s, along with other airline workers, when the company cried poverty. In 1997 the company posted $427 million profits.

The pilots are fighting for work rule changes that directly affect flight safety. Currently their duty time, the time from push-off to landing, is as high as 85-90 hours a month. Actual working time, including flight preparation and training, is double that amount. This is well over the industry average of 75-78 hours per month. For the company, this means a leaner workforce. For the pilots, it means increased fatigue. Some pilots report being away from home as many as 20 days a month.

ACPA is also demanding increased flight crews for longer flights to ensure safety. Gunn said that today the same two pilots fly both the take-off and landing on a 14-hour flight. The association is also fighting to stop cuts in training time on simulation equipment, which help pilots learn to deal with emergency situations.

The big-business media has worked hard to turn working people and others against the strike. Stories of honeymooners being stranded and children trying to fly home to return to school abound.

Flight attendants and other airline workers have stopped by the picket line in Toronto to extend their support.

Susan Berman is a member of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 1459.

 
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home