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Air Transat says that “progress has been made” in negotiations with the union representing its pilots, just a day after the Air Line Pilots Association, Intl. issued a 72-hour strike notice.
The two parties, which began talks toward a new collective agreement in January, have both said they are negotiating around the clock with pilots prepared to walk off the job as soon as 3 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
“We are working tirelessly and still hope to reach an agreement during the day to minimize operational disruptions,” said Andréan Gagné, the senior director of communications, public affairs and corporate responsibility at Air Transat, in an email to CBC News.
The discussions will continue today, added Gagné. “We aim to find a reasonable consensus, and it is up to the union to take a step toward us considering the generous offer we have put on the table.”
Flights scheduled for Dec. 8 will operate as planned for now, according to Air Transat. The airline previously said it would begin a gradual shutdown of operations in anticipation of a strike.
The union representing Air Transat pilots has issued a 72-hour strike notice, meaning pilots could be on strike as early as Wednesday. In response, the airline says it will gradually shut down operations over the next three days.
Air Transat and ALPA are aiming to replace an agreement that was negotiated in 2015 and expired at the end of April. Among the issues at play are wages, benefits, work rules and job security, according to the union.
The airline said in a statement on Sunday that its latest offer included a 59 per cent wage increase over five years with “major improvements” to working conditions, and called the union’s demands “unreasonable.”
Capt. Louis-Éric Mongrain, a vice-president at ALPA Canada, told CBC News on Monday that the union is committed to achieving an agreement “before the strike deadline on Wednesday.”
“There’s still a split, but it’s narrowing by the minute. So that’s a good thing,” said Mongrain.
He said the union would not want to see the two sides end up in arbitration.
“Arbitration is never good because arbitration sets rules,” said Mongrain. “We want to see deals that are negotiated by both parties at the table. It’s better for everybody involved. It’s better for the public and it’s better for labour in Canada in general.”
