Flight attendants and pilots for yet another Canadian airline are so far unable to come to a deal with their employer — and one expert says the possibility of both groups going on strike adds pressure.
Earlier this month, after more than a year of talks, both the Air Line Pilots Association representing PAL Airlines pilots, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees representing PAL airlines flight attendants, announced they have requested conciliation from the federal labour board — a process whereby a neutral mediator will assist the parties in coming to a new collective agreement.
PAL airlines services eastern Canada, and is the primary airline service in Labrador.
While filing for conciliation is a normal part of the collective agreement bargaining process when both sides can’t come to a deal, York University labour expert Steven Tufts said both unions filing around the same time creates a unique circumstance.
“That allows them to, if they co-ordinate their efforts, to actually put a little bit more pressure on the employer because they can shut the entire airline down if they manage to get a common strike date or within a few days or weeks of each other,” said Tufts.
According to a statement from ALPA, once a conciliator has been chosen, they will work with both parties to secure an agreement in 60 days. After that, there is a 21-day “cooling off period” before the unions can choose to take job action.
Both West Jet and Air Canada flight attendants (also represented by CUPE) have also gone on strike recently.
Considering this, Tufts said passengers should be worried about a potential PAL strike — but said that federal intervention may make it short lived.
“This government has shown that it will discount workers’ right to strike and it will enact back to work legislation or using Section 107 of the Labour Code to get workers back to work quickly,” he said.
The federal Liberals have also tabled a bill that seeks to make changes to Canada’s labour code. While Ottawa maintains the new bill will strengthen workers’ rights, CUPE among other unions, says it threatens workers’ right to strike.
Tufts said this may make it harder for unions to go on strike.
“I think unions are very concerned and they’re trying to probably get a good deal with employers before those changes are enacted,” he said.
In a statement to CBC, PAL senior vice-president Joseph Galimberti said the airline “welcomes the conciliation process,” describing it as a “helpful step” in the bargaining process.
“We will move forward with the same direct and positive approach we have maintained throughout these negotiations as we work toward mutually beneficial agreements for both employee groups,” wrote Galimberti.
According to a statement issued by CUPE on Sept. 18, the outstanding issues at the bargaining table include better wages, scheduling, working conditions and work-life balance — but say bargaining efforts with PAL have failed “to produce sufficient progress.”
The previous collective agreement expired in April 2025.
In a follow-up statement to CBC News, PAL flight attendant and CUPE 5451 president Mark Rice added that much of their work done on the ground goes unpaid, adding that poor weather and cancellations made things worse.
“Flying out of Newfoundland and Labrador, we face a lot of adverse weather, and when flight attendants are stuck on the ground we aren’t getting paid — so those long unpaid weather delays really hurt our livelihoods too,” said Rice.
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West Jet and Air Canada flight attendants have successfully bargained for ground pay after going on strike. Tufts said CUPE is likely trying to get this for smaller airlines too.
Meanwhile, chair of the PAL ALPA Master Executive Council captain Conrad Reid, said they have been trying to secure better scheduling, and have been negotiating since July 2025.
Reid says better scheduling creates better work conditions. “Good scheduling, good work rules, That’s what’s important to us,” he said.
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But Reid accuses PAL of “dragging their feet,” which is why they filed for conciliation.
“We wanted to put a deadline on the process, get some meaningful talks and, you know, get this thing moving along,” he said.
As for a strike, Reid said if a deal can’t be reached, it is a possibility.
“Last thing we want to do is put the travelling public out,” he said. “We want to get to the table and get this thing ironed out and.. hopefully not have to go down that road.”
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