Release #: 20.22
September 15, 2020

ALPA Canada Congratulates PAL Airlines Ground Crews on Seeking to Join Transport and Allied Workers Union

OTTAWA, ONT.—ALPA Canada, a division of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) congratulates the Transport and Allied Workers Union, Local 855 (affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters) who were just certified by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to represent the St. John’s–based cargo agents and ramp attendants at PAL Airlines.

“When five employee groups at one company feel that the only way to ensure safety and protect their labour rights is by unionizing, you know the local senior executive management team is failing,” said ALPA Canada president First Officer Tim Perry. “We cannot stress enough the importance of compelling PAL’s senior executive management and EIC to stop putting profits over pilots and the other employees who work so diligently to successfully maintain operations at their carriers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Perry recently led ALPA in filing an unfair labour practice complaint against PAL Aerospace after the company’s pilots struggled to fight months of union-busting tactics and management’s blatant campaign of intimidation. Since then, the PAL Aerospace pilots have received CIRB certification and joined the PAL Airlines and Air Borealis pilots in ALPA membership. Additionally, PAL Airlines dispatchers unionized under CALDA and flight attendants under CUPE were also certified by the CIRB.

“On behalf of the more than 5,000 airline pilots of ALPA Canada, we congratulate our colleagues for taking action to secure a voice for their future through representation under Local 855,” said Perry.

PAL Airlines also employs more than 160 pilots, represented by ALPA since June 19, 2019.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing more than 63,000 pilots at 35 airlines in Canada and the United States, including Canadian carriers PAL Aerospace, Air Borealis, Air Georgian, Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, Canadian North, First Air, Jazz Aviation, KFC Aerospace, Morningstar Air Express, PAL Airlines, Sky Regional, Wasaya, WestJet, and WestJet Encore. Visit ALPA at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org