Sunwing union opposes Canadian provider’s plans to rent overseas pilots By Reuters

By Allison Lampert

(Reuters) – The union for Sunwing Airways pilots stated it’s urging Canada’s authorities to cease a plan by the Ontario-based leisure provider to rent overseas pilots this winter to assist address an anticipated vacation journey surge.

Airline trade use of overseas pilots as aviation rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic is delicate for unions in Canada and the USA. These unions need higher efforts to rent pilots from the airways’ residence nations regardless of complaints of shortages.

“It is a punch within the face,” Barret Armann, president of the union native that represents Sunwing pilots, stated of the plan to rent non-Canadian pilots, including that Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan “must step in and cease this.”

Sunwing will apply with the federal government to usher in 65 pilots this winter as short-term overseas employees due partly to a “staffing challenge” in the summertime, in line with a Unifor union native memo to pilots citing a gathering final week with airline administration.

Sunwing is within the midst of being acquired by Canada’s second-largest provider WestJet Airways, owned by personal fairness agency Onex Corp.

It was not clear whether or not Sunwing has began a proper course of to rent overseas pilots. Sunwing didn’t reply to requests for remark.

The memo described a job advert from Czech provider SmartWings that stated “overseas pilots will certainly work (in Canada) beneath our contract however be paid greater than 75% of our pilots.” The memo stated Sunwing has accessible pilots in Canada.

SmartWings didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Vacation air journey is forecast to increase after a pandemic-induced stoop the previous two years. Canadian airways are bracing for a busy Christmas season, with Canada anticipated to additional ease COVID-19 journey restrictions.

Carriers in the USA and Canada reduce 1000’s of flights this summer time as a rebound in journey demand bumped into labor shortages.

The usage of pilots as short-term overseas employees is uncommon in contrast with different sectors. Within the first half of 2022, Canadian employers had been granted permission to fill 32 pilot positions with short-term overseas employees, in line with authorities information. By comparability, 48,485 short-term farm employee permits had been issued over the identical interval.

O’Regan met this month with Unifor and the Worldwide Affiliation of Machinists and Aerospace Employees (IAMAW), which has a separate criticism about Sunwing giving work to foreigners. A spokeswoman for O’Regan stated it was as much as an employer to fulfill necessities to usher in short-term overseas employees.

Air Canada’s CEO has stated pilots are usually not a difficulty for the nation’s largest airline.