Air Inuit pilots ratify agreement, but union declines to share details

Air Inuit pilots voted Wednesday in favour of a new contract, but their union will not say how it will affect wages.

The deal is “focused on maintaining experienced pilots,” said Capt. Louis-Philippe Desmarais, who chairs Air Line Pilots Association Canada’s leadership team, adding his members will get more pay across the board.

Nunatsiaq News asked Desmarais how much more the pilots will receive, but he would only say the new wage scale is comparable to that of their southern colleagues at other airlines.

Air Canada’s pilots, represented by the same union as Air Inuit’s pilots, reportedly ratified a new four-year contract last year that included a 42 per cent pay increase over four years.

Desmarais described Air Inuit’s new “retention formula” which details clear guidelines for promotions and salaries.

For example, a first officer’s experience will be applicable to a captain’s should they wish to apply in the future. That means first officers won’t start from the bottom of the wage scale when taking the captain’s seat.

Another concern for pilots was stable schedules. The new agreement will prioritize this, Desmarais said.

Of the 92 per cent of Air Inuit’s unionized pilots who cast ballots, 94 per cent voted in favour of the new contract.

“We were impressed,” Desmarais said of the result, adding it indicates the union was able to get what the pilots wanted.

In an unsigned statement released by the airline late Thursday, Air Inuit said wages and other details in the collective agreement are confidential.

Representatives from Makivvik Inc., the owner of Air Inuit, did not respond to a request for comment.