Porter Pilots Get US$2 Million Grant from ALPA to Assist With Contract Negotiations
by Bruce Parkinson
In a sure sign of its maturation, Porter is seeing its pilots and cabin crew members move to unionize.
The Porter Airlines pilot group has received a US$2 million grant from the Air Line Pilots Association’s Major Contingency Fund (MCF). The funds are designed to “provide further resources, if needed, to the more than 900 Porter pilots as they enter the final and most critical phase of negotiations for their first collective agreement.”
The money was granted following a unanimous vote by ALPA’s Executive Board.
“This grant is a decisive show of strength and solidarity and demonstrates that Porter pilots have the full backing of the Association to go the distance until our pilots have secured the contract we’ve earned,” said Capt. Brian Smith, chair of the Porter Airlines Master Executive Council.
“Our first contract will be the foundation that will shape how Porter pilots are valued. It is time for change and for much-needed improvements to our scheduling and quality-of-life rules as well as pilot compensation.”
As the Porter pilots and airline management approach federal conciliation deadlines, the pilots are preparing for their first informational picket on Wednesday, November 18, at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
“Porter pilots are raising the bar for the piloting profession in Canada, and we will not back down until we achieve a contract that recognizes and rewards the skill, professionalism, and commitment we bring to this airline every day,” Smith said.
Porter pilots filed notice to bargain in September 2025. After months of minimal progress, the parties entered federal conciliation on September 23, 2026, a process scheduled to run until November 22.
If no agreement is reached by then, a 21‑day cooling‑off period will begin on November 23 and conclude on December 13—the earliest date that the union could legally strike or the company could impose a lockout.
