Union Insists That Labor Groups Must Be Included in Financial Aid Discussions

Tim Perry, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA) Canada, issued the following statement after the Canadian government announced a variety of new measures for incoming travelers and indicated further development of an aviation assistance package.

“We are encouraged to see the government acknowledge the airline industry as being one of the hardest hit sectors from the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing it cannot absorb further losses and remain viable without support from the government. As pilots, we also know that public safety is and always will be the top priority; however, it must also be recognized that the government's approach thus far has done serious damage to the sustainability of Canada's aviation sector.

“Jobs continue to be lost, and the industry's very existence remains in jeopardy, threatening, among other things, Canada's economic recovery. Today's announcement of further travel restrictions without any concrete stabilizing measures for the aviation industry demonstrates that the government remains determined to make decisions on how to mitigate the impact COVID-19 on the aviation sector without proper consultation and engagement with aviation labor groups, such as ALPA Canada, despite our best efforts.

“So far, any promises of support for the industry have been nothing more than hollow political statements. It is our sincerest hope this announcement will be accompanied with action from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and newly minted Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

“ALPA's position to the government on how to help the industry weather the storm has, since the beginning of the pandemic, remained consistent — work with us to fully assess solutions to ensure a strong, stable industry, before it's too late.

“We will continue to promote our many articulate and science-based recommendations, and we strongly encourage the government to ensure labor groups, such as ALPA Canada, are part of discussions regarding the implementation of an aviation-specific financial assistance program that provides direct support to airlines that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any financial assistance for the industry that does not support employees would be considered a failure of this government.”

FMI: www.alpa.org