Air Transat Pilots Request Conciliation

[Takeoff OK]

95.8% strike vote.

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ai ... 287571.htm

[TFTMB heavy]

95.8% participation, the highest in Air Transat history, 97% in favour of the strike.

[mbav8r]

Hopefully this will be enough to get management to the table with a meaningful offer, I suspect March bookings will start to fall off with this announcement.
Bonne chance!

[Lemon]

What does this mean for customers with fights booked with them later this week?

[mbav8r]

As they are not in a position to strike the until the end of the month, none related to this. If you had a trip scheduled to return in early March you might be concerned on how they are getting you home, if and only if it comes to a strike which is unlikely. IMHO

[slapshot22]

Shame on the AT executives and management for not seeing this coming. They lost all their leverage by removing contracted flying from the likes of Canjet and Enerjet. Have to wonder how this would play out if Canjet was still in business or considering to start up again with their 4 remaining leased aircraft.

Any idea what happens to the operation of wet leased aircraft if there is a strike. Maybe they can convince our newly elected government to let them bring in some foreign pilots under the justification of "public interest"...

Sad to say, but suspect the only winners in this battle will be Sunwing or perhaps whoever fills the void AT leaves behind.

[aerosexual]

Shame on the AT executives and management for not seeing this coming. They lost all their leverage by removing contracted flying from the likes of Canjet and Enerjet. Have to wonder how this would play out if Canjet was still in business or considering to start up again with their 4 remaining leased aircraft.

Any idea what happens to the operation of wet leased aircraft if there is a strike. Maybe they can convince our newly elected government to let them bring in some foreign pilots under the justification of "public interest"...

Sad to say, but suspect the only winners in this battle will be Sunwing or perhaps whoever fills the void AT leaves behind.

Transat isn't going anywhere anytime soon, unless there is some sort of merger or acquisition in the works that the public is unaware of. They have something like $1.5 Billion in cash and equivalents, and despite some recent challenges they have been profitable. Air Transat is taking a hard stance with the pilot group but they won't allow a strike to happen especially around March Break which is very busy. Both sides are simply trying to get the best deal possible, and Air Transat pilots rightly do not want to accept an inferior contract to the one that expired.

Good luck to the Air Transat pilots!

[slapshot22]

Either way, you cant deny that it will be interesting to see what happens. I doubt anyone will come out saying it was good for the company to go through this. Keep in mind that even with 1.5 Billion on hand; the very low CAD, latest Zika scare, and potential strike could put a major downturn in the company's outlook which will negatively affect its share prices.

Good time to sell off AT shares if you ask me.

[Rockie]

For the first time in over 10 years a federally regulated employee group will be permitted to exercise their rights without being denied them by an ideologically anti-labour government. Stressful for all because nobody likes a strike, but this is the way the system is supposed to work - and it does work. I too am confident an agreement will be reached without that trigger being pulled. A pending work stoppage greatly focuses the attention on both sides of the table.

Strikes are not good, but the threat of them if not the actual event are the only thing protecting an employee groups existing working conditions - never mind advancing them.

[URC]

They have something like $1.5 Billion in cash and equivalents

Try more like $336 Million in cash and cash equivalents (as of October 31, 2015). They do have $1.5 Billion in total assets but then you have to consider their $976 million in liabilities. An asset to liablility ratio of 1.5.

$336 Million represents just under 10% of their annual operating expenses.

Canada 3000 showed $82 Million in cash and cash equivalents that represented 22% of their annual operating expenses and had an asset to liability ratio of 1.4 published in their last financial statements before they went bankrupt a few months later.

I'm not so sure that $336 Million is that much money ?

[watermeth]

if I may add to your post URC : they also have 500+million of liabilities off balance sheet. those are stated in their financial report.
it's nearly a 100% ratio. on the positive, AC has been surviving with a ratio of 0.75 (ballpark) for the last few years.
however with a net profit margin of 1.32%, I'm really wondering where they'll find the money for better wawcon.

[aerosexual]

Fair enough, I read that wrong when I took a quick glance. That's not a lot of money for the entire tour group.

[URC]

Pilots Aim to Avoid Possible Strike's Impact on March Vacation Break Service

MONTREAL, Feb. 19, 2016 /CNW/ - Air Transat pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), announced today that they still have not reached any agreement with Air Transat A. T. on a new contract. Just days before the height of Canada's spring break travel season, union leaders and the airline have yet to come to terms after more than a year of direct negotiations and federal conciliation.

"After reviewing the latest global proposal presented by the company, our local union leadership and negotiators have unanimously refused sending it out to our membership for ratification," said Capt. Patrice Roy, chairman of ALPA's Air Transat Master Executive Council. "Contrary to what we'd expected, this proposal does not reflect the company's purported interest in bringing pilot wages into line with our peers."

Although no agreement has been reached, the union thanked the Ministry of Labour for its assistance. The Ministry coordinated a federally mandated conciliation period followed by a mediation after distance between the parties on many of the demands led the pilots to seek intervention. However, on February 1, strained discussions between the company and the union led the pilots to an overwhelming show of unity, with 97 percent voting in support of a strike if the two parties proved to be unable to reach a fair and equitable contract.

"It is with our help that Air Transat has remained profitable through the tough times the company faced," said Capt. Roy. "It's time for management to now invest in pilots the same way they've invested in other Air Transat employees and executives."

The conciliation period ended on Sunday, February 7, but was extended when the mediator to the file summoned the parties for a meeting from February 15 to 18. Unfortunately, after a week in mediation, substantial issues remain open, particularly in the areas of working conditions and compensation, according to Capt. Roy. The current collective agreement expired on April 30, 2015. Since then, the pilots have continued to work under a contract that has seen no adjustments to allowances to pension or benefits, and the pilots' concessionary pay scales have fallen well below the rate of inflation.

Roy says the pilots are still open to negotiating and hope to avoid a strike. However, a mandated 21-day "cooling-off" period will end at 12:01 a.m. on February 29, at which point both parties will gain the right to strike or lockout. ALPA plans to keep the public informed of any developments toward reaching a contract up until the strike deadline.

Pilots at Air Transat joined ALPA in 1999. The group's 524 members operate the fleet's A310-300s and A330-200s and -300s, plus B-737-700s and -800s from bases in Montreal, P.Q.; Toronto, Ont.; and Vancouver, B.C.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 52,000 pilots at 30 U.S. and Canadian airlines, including more than 2,600 Canadian flightcrew members who fly for Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, Canadian North, First Air, Jazz Aviation, Kelowna Flightcraft, and Wasaya.

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Transat will guarantee flights in the event of a strike

Montreal, February 5, 2016 — Risk of a strike at Air Transat: Communication to distribution networks.

With a view to reassuring its partners and customers, Transat states that discussions with Air Transat pilots aimed at renewing the collective agreement are actively progressing. If necessary, talks will continue beyond the end of the conciliation period scheduled for February 7. As both parties are reasonable and responsible and have a mutual interest in avoiding a strike, the company is very confident that an agreement will be reached.

Furthermore, in an effort to be prepared for any outcome, and knowing that there can be no work stoppage before February 29, Transat plans to have the necessary agreements in place with other carriers in order to guarantee service continuity after this date and avoid any adverse impact on customers.

The Company’s relations with its unionized staff have always been excellent and together both parties have cultivated a customer-focused corporate culture over the years. The Company is very confident that an agreement will be reached and that a strike will be avoided, as has always been the case since the inception of Air Transat.

[brooks]

Thank god ALPA is there. They will save your jobs.

[BusDriver]

Thank god for your solidarity BROOKSY!

[Takeoff OK]

Thank god ALPA is there. They will save your jobs.

Thank God for your 100% useless input, so we can all be made clearly aware of the value of your thoughts moving forward.

[TFTMB heavy]

I'm not going to pretend that everything is perfect at ALPA but when push comes to shove they step up. No resources are spared when it comes to contract negotiations.

[brooks]

Except when your employer is broke and you want a raise. I think Transat's days are numbered. Just my opinion.

[chaster]

Except when your employer is broke and you want a raise. I think Transat's days are numbered. Just my opinion.

Right On brooks! Another Fella Who needs To go Do his Homework! You know what they say bout opinion's!FYI There is a deal being fine tuned as we Speak!

[Maurice]

Are they able to issue the 72 hours notice during the cooling-off period so they could actually strike Monday or does it have to wait until the cooling-off period ends so they earlies they could strike would be March 3rd?