Air Canada Pilots hold a demonstration in Winnipeg

After voting overwhelmingly in favour of a strike, Air Canada pilots held nationwide information pickets Tuesday, including right here at the Winnipeg International Airport, in what they say is an effort to modernize a decade-old contract.

The strike, which could take place as early as September 17th, would see roughly 5,400 pilots walk out, as negotiations have been ongoing since June of 2023, with a federal conciliator overseeing ongoing talks in Toronto hotels.

“The last collective agreement expired last year, but it was a stale and outdated 10-year contract that was signed in 2014,” said Captain Gilles Boissonneault, a representative for the Air Line Pilots Association, International.

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“All of our pilots are standing on the line at the same time, to show and demonstrate to the company that we are in need of a new collective agreement.”

Captain Boissonneault says the over two thousand pilots nationwide, were there in their free time and did not affect flights. He says the goal is to educate passengers and Air Canada as a whole to show their resolve to get an updated contract signed.

“Starting tomorrow we get into a 21-day cooling off period and we’re hopefully that both ourselves and Air Canada can get back to the table and come to an agreement,” said Boissonneault.

Air Canada says in a statement it “intends to reach a negotiated settlement with its pilots and that the three-week cooling off period gives the parties more than sufficient time to address any outstanding issues.”

As for passengers, Air Canada is offering those who have booked flights around the date of a possible pilot strike next month the option to cancel their flight and receive a credit for future travel and provide refunds for customers with refundable tickets, however, refunds will not be available for those with non-refundable tickets as the flights are scheduled to operate as normal.