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Air Transat airline dispatchers have voted unanimously in favour of a strike mandate.
“Our intentions and goals were to always get a deal at the table,” CALDA national president Rob King wrote in an email to Global News. “We remain committed to continue negotiations but Air Transat needs to understand our members are committed to a contract that reflects recent gains in our profession.”
In a statement to Global News, Transat said its operations and flight schedule are not threatened but that CALDA’s “current salary demands remain unreasonable.”
“Not only because of the financial context in which Transat finds itself,” according to Alex-Anne Carrier of Transat, “but especially considering that our flight dispatchers are already the best paid in the industry.”
Flight dispatchers prepare and maintain flight plans, authorize flights with the aircraft captain, and brief air crews, according to a Government of Canada website.
It also says the 28 Montreal-based dispatchers have been working without a contract since Oct. 31, 2022, and are “very disappointed at the progress of talks.”
Carrier wrote that Transat presented an “unprecedented global — and final — offer” on April 25 that was retroactive to October 2022, but claimed union leadership did not present it to the members.
CALDA’s statement said the union delivered its strike vote to Air Transat on April 15.
“We remain committed to the process and are confident that we will come to an agreement quickly, as always,” Carrier said in a statement.
CALDA’s statement said the federal government took part in conciliation talks. A spokesperson for the Labour Minister, Seamus O’Regan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE BY THE CALDA ON THE UNION STRIKE:
MONTRÉAL, April 30, 2024 — Airline Dispatchers at Air Transat represented by the Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA) have given their association a resounding 100% strike mandate in their negotiations with Air Transat. The result of the Strike Vote was delivered to Air Transat on April 15th after Conciliation talks with the assistance of the Federal Government failed and Conciliation ended on April 2nd, 2024. The 21 day mandatory cooling off period ended April 23rd, 2024. . The 28 Montreal based Air Transat Flight Dispatchers are very disappointed at the progress of talks. Air Transat Flight Dispatchers Collective Agreement ended on October 31st, 2022.
“We have been very patient in trying to negotiate a new Collective Agreement with Air Transat”, said Rob King, National President, Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association. “Our Flight Dispatchers are highly trained professionals who certain deserve a contract that reflects their position of responsibility, accountability and liability as it pertains to their work,” said King. The Flight Dispatchers are now in a position to strike.
Flights Dispatchers are licensed by Transport Canada and prepare the Flight Plan, board fuel, monitor aircraft systems, monitor weather, deal with in-flight emergencies along with other very important functions. The Flight Dispatcher at Air Transat shares responsibility with the Pilot-In-Command for Flight Watch and Operational Control. Both the Flight Dispatcher and the Pilot-In-Command share pertinent information with each other to ensure the Flight is operated in the safest manner possible. No Air Transat aircraft can depart without the approval of the Flight Plan by the Flight Dispatcher.
SOURCE CALDA (Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association)
For further information: Rob King, National President, Canadian Airline Dispatcher’s Association at rob.king@calda.ca
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