Sunwing Pilots Ratify First Agreement with CAW

TORONTO, March 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Pilots at Sunwing Airlines have ratified a first collective agreement with CAW by a margin of 78 per cent.

The new deal includes wage and pension increases and a commitment by the company to recognize fatigue in pilots' schedules.

Captain Dave Matkovich, President of CAW Local 7378 said the new agreement makes a number of key improvements and meets membership concerns, including pilot fatigue and scheduling issues. "The solidarity of the members and the bargaining committee's hard work helped ensure a strong agreement for our pilot group while allowing Sunwing Airlines to remain competitive over the long term," Matkovich said. CAW Local 7378 represents the 155 professional pilots at Sunwing.

The new agreement also includes a number of new jobs being created. The pilots negotiated wage increases of up to 2 per cent per year over the term of the three year contract, retroactive to December 1, 2012. Other gains include improvements to the scheduling system, increase in annual sick days, maternity benefits, and new work sharing programs to reduce the number of layoffs in slow periods.

Pilots voted on the new agreement after a series of cross country meetings held over the last week of February. This ballot count was conducted late last week.

Sunwing pilots joined the CAW in January 2012. The CAW represents 11,600 members in the air transportation sector including pilots of Morningstar Air Express, PropAir, Sunwing Airlines, and CargoJet.

SOURCE: Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW)