The union for Sunwing Airlines pilots said it was urging Canada to stop a plan by the Ontario-based leisure carrier to hire foreign pilots this winter to help cope with an expected holiday travel surge.
As the COVID 19 epidemic rebounds, the airline industry use of foreign pilots is sensitive for unions in Canada and the United States. The unions want to hire pilots from the airlines' home countries despite complaints of shortages.
It's a punch in the face, Barret Armann, president of the union local that represents Sunwing pilots, said Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan needs to step in and stop this. Sunwing will apply to bring in 65 pilots this winter as temporary foreign workers because of a staffing issue in the summer, according to a memo from the Unifor union to pilots citing a meeting with airline management last week.
Sunwing is in the midst of being acquired by Canada's second largest carrier, WestJet Airlines, owned by private equity firm Onex Corp.
It wasn't clear whether Sunwing has started a formal process to hire foreign pilots. Sunwing did not reply to requests for comment.
According to the memo, foreign pilots will actually work in Canada under our contract but be paid more than 75% of our pilots, according to a job ad from Czech carrier SmartWings. Sunwing has available pilots in Canada, according to the memo.
Holiday air travel is predicted to boom after a sluggish past two years due to a pandemic. Canadian airlines are bracing for a busy Christmas season, with Canada expected to ease COVID 19 travel restrictions.
The airlines in the United States and Canada cut thousands of flights this summer due to a rebound in travel demand.
The use of pilots as temporary foreign workers is rare compared to other sectors. Canadian employers were granted permission to fill 32 pilot positions with temporary foreign workers in the first half of 2022, according to government data. Over the same period, 48,485 temporary farm worker permits were issued.
O'Regan met this month with Unifor and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers IAMAW, which has a separate complaint about Sunwing giving work to foreigners. An employer must meet the requirements to bring in temporary foreign workers, a spokeswoman for O'Regan said.
Air Canada's CEO said pilots aren't an issue for the country's biggest airline.