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Pilots for two Canadian airlines say they have requested conciliation assistance from the federal government as discussions for new collective agreements have stalled.
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Pilots with Porter Airlines and Eastern Canadian carrier PAL Airlines on Thursday filed separate notices of dispute to the Minister of Labour to request support from the federal mediation and conciliation service, opening the door for government involvement in their collective bargaining process.
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Porter’s pilots said they filed their notice to bargain with the company in September 2025 for their first collective agreement as members of Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), which also represents pilots flying PAL, Air Canada, WestJet Group, Air Transat and Flair Airlines.
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“After months of waiting for meaningful movement, it’s clear that the company is not prepared to engage in real bargaining,” Brian Smith, chair of ALPA’s Porter master executive council, said in a press release.
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Smith said Porter management has relied heavily on their pilots to support the airline’s rapid growth, while failing to “ensure that working conditions also evolve to reflect the needs of Porter pilots.”
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Conciliation has become “a necessary step” to ensure they can secure an industry-standard agreement, he said.
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Porter, in an emailed statement, said it has been working in good faith to reach a first collective agreement with ALPA since substantive bargaining began early in 2026.
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The airline said it is only in recent weeks that proposals on key items, such as scheduling rules and wages, have been tabled by the pilots’ association.
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“Although Porter believes requesting conciliation is premature, our goal is to finalize a first collective agreement with ALPA that recognizes the contributions of pilots, and supports mutually-beneficial long-term growth for all team members,” it said.
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PAL pilots, based in St. John’s, N.L., said discussions for their second collective agreement with the Eastern Canada airline’s management have been underway since July 2025, “but progress has stalled.”
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“PAL management has dragged their feet for months, and it’s obvious that they have no intention of engaging in meaningful bargaining,” said Conrad Reid, chair of ALPA’s PAL master executive council. “We didn’t want to escalate, but PAL’s refusal to listen and understand our concerns without creating unworkable solutions designed to strip away our quality of life has left us no choice.”
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PAL Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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With the pilot groups’ request for conciliation, the federal minister has 15 days to appoint a conciliation officer for each who will then work with the parties for 60 days to reach an agreement.
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