Porter Airlines Pilots, Crew Members Make Moves to Unionize
by Bruce Parkinson
In a sure sign of its maturation, Porter is seeing its pilots and cabin crew members move to unionize.
In another step on its journey from plucky regional carrier to major national player, Porter Airlines is seeing both its pilots and cabin crew members moving toward unionization.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has confirmed it has filed a union certification application with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on behalf of about 1,200 cabin Porter crew members. The news comes not long after Porter pilots filed membership cards with the CIRB, a major step toward joining the Air Line Pilots Association.
CUPE already represents about 18,500 flight attendants at other Canadian carriers, including Air Canada and WestJet, while the addition of Porter pilots to ALPA would make them the union’s 43rd pilot group and make its ranks more than 80,000 strong.
The CIRB will now request a response from Porter and connect with pilots to gauge support for unionization. Once the CIRB completes its probe, it will decide whether to grant certification, which usually takes around 30 days.
“Welcoming the Porter pilots into ALPA will further advance the interests of commercial airline pilots and strengthen aviation safety and security,” said ALPA President Jason Ambrosi.
Porter is Canada’s largest non-unionized carrier. The airline has grown significantly over the past several years, expanding beyond its home base at Toronto City Centre Airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport and Ottawa’s Macdonald–Cartier International Airport. It now flies to 45 destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.
