Last week, more than 6,000 Unifor members working across Air Canada ratified a new four-year collective agreement with an overwhelming 94% vote in favour.

The agreement covers a wide range of workers, including airport employees, contact centre employees, customer relations representatives, and Aeroplan contact centre staff. Through collective bargaining, workers secured a 12% wage increase in the first year and 21% compounded wage increases over the life of the four-year agreement, demonstrating the value of workers having a strong collective voice at the bargaining table.

Beyond wages, workers achieved pension improvements, enhanced health benefits, increased mental health coverage, improvements to dental, vision and prescription drug coverage, expanded access to paramedical services, improvements to premiums, and greater job security protections. Members also secured improvements to working conditions and workplace language that will continue to benefit workers throughout the life of the agreement.

Collective Bargaining Delivers Results

While every workplace and every employer is different, the Air Canada agreement demonstrates an important reality: when workers have a union and a seat at the bargaining table, they have a voice in shaping their wages, benefits, working conditions, and future.

Why This Matters for Contact Centre Workers

For contact centre workers, collective bargaining is about much more than wages alone. The people doing the work every day understand the challenges of the job better than anyone else. Whether concerns relate to compensation, scheduling, workload, benefits, career progression, remote work, job security, or workplace policies, a union provides workers with a structured and legally protected process to bring those issues to the bargaining table and negotiate improvements collectively.

Without a union, decisions about compensation, scheduling, workplace policies, and job security are made by the employer alone. With a union, workers elect representatives from among their co-workers, identify bargaining priorities together, and negotiate collectively to achieve improvements that matter to them.

Having a Voice at the Table

Across Canada's aviation industry, more and more workers are choosing to have that voice. Whether they work at airports, in operations centres, in crew scheduling, or in contact centres, workers are recognizing the value of having a strong collective voice and the ability to negotiate improvements through collective bargaining.

At Porter, workers know their jobs better than anyone. The questions are simple: Should workers have a say in the decisions that affect their working lives? Should employees have a seat at the table when workplace issues are discussed? Should there be a process to negotiate improvements rather than simply accept decisions made by management?

Collective bargaining gives workers that opportunity.

Looking Ahead

As organizing efforts continue across the aviation sector, the recent Air Canada agreement serves as a reminder of what can be achieved when workers stand together, speak with one voice, and negotiate collectively. While no two employers or bargaining relationships are identical, workers who have a seat at the table are always in a stronger position to advocate for the improvements that matter most to them and their families.

Share this email or link to sign a Unifor Porter membership card with your coworkers today join.unifor.org/portercard

Lucy Alessio
Unifor National Representative, Organizing
416.998.3189
[email protected]

Billy O'Neill
Unifor National Representative, Organizing
416.605.1443
billy.oneill@unifor.org