ALPA Canada Calls on All Parties to Protect Canadian Jobs and Commit to Temporary Foreign Worker Program Reforms

En français 

OTTAWA, ONT.—As the voice of over 95 percent of Canada’s professional, unionized pilots, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), is calling on all of Canada’s federal parties to commit to reforming the country's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)  in light of recent government approval granted to WestJet Inc. to hire foreign pilots through the program.

“Our Association plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of Canada’s aviation sector. We advocate for policies that protect pilots, improve working conditions, and enhance the overall stability of the industry,” said Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president. “The recent government approval granted to WestJet Inc. to hire temporary foreign pilots at WestJet Encore through the TFWP raises significant red flags regarding the program.

“The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process under the TFWP is wholly inadequate and lacks any consultation and engagement with the unions representing the employees impacted by the hiring of TFWs. Consideration of the impact on unionized workers employed under terms set out through collective bargaining is necessary and should be a required component of the LMIA process,” continued Perry.

ALPA urges all parties to commit to a review of the TFWP, with the goal of reforming the LMIA process to recognize and place importance on input from labour and require meaningful and robust consultation with the unions that represent impacted employees.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 79,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on Twitter @ALPAPilots. 

-###-

CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org