Air Canada union head says she’ll resign if pilots reject deal

The head of the Air Canada pilots union says she’ll step down if members opt not to approve a tentative deal with the airline.

Charlene Hudy, who chairs the Air Canada AC-T contingent of the Air Line Pilots Association, told her fellow employees in a virtual townhall Friday that she “will have no choice but to resign” if they vote down the would-be agreement.

The Canadian Press has obtained a copy of her statement to members and confirmed it with two pilots.

The contract, reached last weekend after more than a year of negotiations, would grant the carrier’s 5,400 pilots a wage hike of 42 per cent over four years.

Michael Bjorge, who teaches history at Dalhousie University with a specialization industrial relations, says warnings about resignation are not unheard of and aim to drive home the merits of a tentative deal.

The agreement has faced scrutiny from some pilots, particularly more recent recruits who are unimpressed with the ongoing pay gap between newer employees and their more experienced colleagues.