Machinists Ratify Agreement With Air Canada

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 22, 2016) - Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace (IAM) have ratified a new collective agreement with Air Canada.

"This deal provides our members labour stability and job security for the next decade. In today's economy that's a good thing," said Fred Hospes, President and Directing General Chairperson of IAM Transportation District 140.

"This provides job protection for our airports people. For the length of this agreement, no matter what the station, no matter who the operating carrier is, our members will continue to perform the regional ground handling work in their locations."

"Our mechanics also benefit from job security on the aircraft they currently maintain," said Hospes. "If Air Canada transfers any of its existing fleet of aircraft to an Air Canada Express Partner who continues to fly on behalf of Air Canada, IAM mechanics will continue to perform the maintenance work on the transferred aircraft."

Under this agreement Air Canada must treat Air Canada rouge aircraft as they do mainline aircraft with respect to ground handling and maintenance jobs. Our member's jobs are safe!

This agreement also has two re-openers which allows our members the chance to renegotiate certain improvements to the contract.

"Now we can move forward to bargain new collective agreements for our other two Air Canada bargaining units, Finance and Clerical," said Hospes.