Air Canada has the ability to stop this they have the ability to prevent flight cancellations they just have to finally come to the bargaining table and actually present an offer that reflects the value uh we bring to this Airline Air Canada Pilots held informational pickets across the country Tuesday after the union voted 98% in favor of a strike mandate 600 Pilots lined the walls of YVR in Vancouver today marks a very significant day on the calendar for us it marks the end of conciliation and the start of our 3 we or 21-day cooling off period at which point at the end of it we may be eligible for strike action Canada may very well lock us out as well so what does this mean for travel well the airline says progress has been made and hopes to reach a deal there is still a possibility of a strike by its 5400 Pilots as early as September 17th the airline pilots Association has been negotiating with Air Canada since June 2023 the employees are calling for fair compensation what they call respectable retirement benefits and quality of life improvements our industry competitors out earn Us by double we're also looking to improve our retirement benefits so that our members who have dedicated their lives to this Airline have a retirement that that is respectable for them as well Pilots say scheduling is also a major sticking point with not enough work life balance we're living under a bankruptcy era contract that was solidified by final offer selection uh and then further solidified with our 10-year Collective Agreement it's been almost 20 years operating under very similar work rules because of a possible looming strike there is some flexibility for travelers customers with tickets between September 15th and 23rd can rebook on any other Air Canada flight with the same origin and destination up to November 30th for free customers who want to cancel and rebook their travel after that date will have their change fees waved but will have to pay any Fair difference in Richmond Kate Walker City news