Certification Complete: Porter Airlines Pilots Join ALPA Union

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has officially certified the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) as the bargaining representative for over 800 pilots at Porter Airlines, making them them the fourth-largest pilot group in Canada.

It’s a significant move – until today’s certification of ALPA as the bargaining agent for the Porter pilots, Porter was the largest non-unionized carrier in the country. There are now 43 groups in the ALPA which has helped to strengthen the ALPA as the unified voice for professional airline pilots across the U.S and Canada.

“We are proud to welcome the pilots of Porter Airlines to ALPA and expand the strength and power of our international union,” said ALPA president, Captain Jason Ambrosi. “We are always stronger together, and bringing our brothers and sisters at Porter into ALPA will not only improve their ability to negotiate good contracts but also ensure that safety and workers’ rights remain front and center.”

“With the addition of the Porter pilots, more than 13,500 pilots, representing 95% of Canada’s professional pilots, are now represented by ALPA,” said Captain Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president. “Porter pilots are instrumental to the airline’s considerable success. Our immediate priority is to help Porter pilots negotiate a fair collective agreement that recognizes their significant contributions to the airline. Porter pilots are entering a new chapter, and we stand with them as they build a strong and bright future within our industry.”

The announcement comes amid ongoing labor unrest in the industry, with Air Canada flight attendants set to strike on August 16.

Porter Airlines has seen tremendous growth over the past five years through their expansion from a home base at Toronto City Centre Airport to Toronto Pearson International, and additional hubs at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa and John C. Munro in Hamilton. Most recently, they announced new routes to the South, for a total of 45 destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean. The airline has also recently applied for a transborder codeshare with American Airlines that will enhance transborder traffic.