Release #: JAZ 19.01
January 15, 2019
Jazz Pilots Endorse Tentative Agreement as Airline Announces Fleet Expansion
Parent company announces extension of capacity purchase agreement with Air Canada
TORONTO—Leadership for the Jazz Aviation pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), endorsed a tentative agreement (TA) with their management on the same day that Chorus Aviation Inc., parent company of Jazz Aviation LP, and Air Canada announced terms to extend their capacity purchase agreement (CPA) to 2035 and increase the Jazz fleet with an additional 14 CRJ900s (76-seat aircraft). Jazz Aviation LP reaching a TA with its pilots was a prerequisite for the capacity purchase agreement extension. The Jazz ALPA leadership will now send the agreement to the airline’s more than 1,500 pilots for ratification.
“By announcing a new agreement with Air Canada, our management has signaled that they are focused on the future and will continue to provide Air Canada customers and our employees the best possible service and place to work well into the future,” said Capt. Claude Buraglia, chairman of the Jazz chapter of ALPA. “Jazz pilots deserve a voice in the long-term company vision, and our careers. This agreement will provide real improvements to our current contract and improve the quality of life of Jazz pilots.”
As part of the CPA, Air Georgian’s 12 CRJ200 aircraft will be placed at Jazz, while all Air Georgian pilots will be offered employment at Jazz. The deal also includes an enhanced career-progression path for Jazz pilots wishing to transition to Air Canada, while also stabilizing pay rates for the pilots. “By joining Jazz, Air Georgian pilots’ career paths will be enhanced significantly through better wages and working conditions until either a potential move to Air Canada, or while making Jazz a career airline,” said Capt. Jim Macarthur, chairman of the Air Georgian chapter of ALPA.
The amendments to and extension of the CPA as well as the fleet increase are contingent on full Jazz pilot ratification of the TA.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 61,000 pilots at 33 airlines in Canada and the United States, including Air Georgian, Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, Canadian North, First Air, Jazz Aviation, Kelowna Flightcraft, Sky Regional, Wasaya, WestJet, and WestJet Encore. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.
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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org