February 25, 2026 – The IAM Union has officially launched a new round of contract negotiations with Air Canada, marking the start of discussions following a 10-year agreement and what union leaders describe as a critical moment for members.
The kickoff meeting brought together a broad delegation of IAM representatives from Canada and the United States, including leadership, general chairpersons, coordinators, and experts from legal, strategic resources, communications, Air Transportation, International Representatives, and staff. The goal: to ensure members are fully supported and prepared at every stage of bargaining.
During the meeting, the union sat down with Air Canada’s leadership from Legal, Labour Relations, Cargo, Finance, and Technical Operations, reflecting the scope and importance of the discussions ahead.
International President Brian Bryant opened the meeting by reinforcing the strength and responsibility of the IAM Union at the table.
“We represent thousands of Air Transportation workers across North America,” Bryant said. “Air Canada is one of the best airlines in the world, and that is because of its employees. We are proud of our members, and their contributions must be recognized in this contract.”
Canadian General Vice-President David Chartrand emphasized the sacrifices IAM members made to help the airline through difficult years.
“Our members sacrificed to keep Air Canada afloat for the past 30 years,” said Chartrand. “Now that the company is in a strong position, they expect to share in that success. We shared the pain; now we want to share the gains too. This is about fairness, respect, and recognizing the people who make this airline successful.”
Chartrand also highlighted the union’s unified bargaining approach, ensuring all groups and classifications are represented equally at one table.
“We are here for everyone,” he said. “Our members want the company to succeed, but success comes from a respected and fairly treated workforce. This is an important contract, and we intend to meet the expectations of our members.”
Negotiations Updates
Update 1: Both parties agreed to establish bargaining dates structured around key main items, ensuring each session focuses on specific topics within the contract package.
Update 2: For every scheduled meeting, both the IAM and Air Canada will bring the appropriate subject-matter experts based on the issues being discussed, allowing for informed and efficient negotiations.
Update 3: Both sides expressed a shared interest in maintaining momentum and working as efficiently as possible to move the process forward and reach a fair agreement in a timely manner.
Air Canada representatives acknowledged the significance of the negotiations and expressed their commitment to engaging in a productive process.
Both sides left the meeting aligned on continuing discussions in the weeks ahead.
The IAM bargaining committee remains focused on securing a fair agreement that reflects members’ contributions and strengthens the future of both Air Canada and its workforce.
More updates will be shared as negotiations progress.
Attendees from the IAM Union: Brian Bryant (International President) – David Chartrand (Canadian General Vice-President) – Tom Reagan (Special Assistant to the International President) – Vinny Addeo (Chief of Staff to the International President) – Keith Aiken (Airline Coordinator) – Dave Flowers (President & Directing General Chairperson) – Michel Richer (Quebec Coordinator) – Lou Pagrach (International Representative) – Kevin Timms (International Representative) – Steve Prinz (International Representative) – Peter Tsoukalas (Special Representative) – Craig Chard (General Chairperson)- Chris Lipsit (General Chairperson) – Chris Greniuk (General Chairperson) – Mahmoud Khatib (General Chairperson) – Nasr Kairouz (Interim General Chairperson) – Rene Grenon (General Chairperson) – Matt Pyne (IAM Research Economist) – Ilana Boivie (IAM Assistant Strategic Resources Director) – Aaron Farrant (Mentee) – Roya Rismankar (Senior Research Analyst) – Sean Fitzpatrick (Lawyer at Cavalluzzo) – Lucie Morillon (Communications Representative) – Vanessa Breidy (Communications Representative).