Pilots at Keewatin Air have tentatively reached their first-ever collective agreement, with the deal now heading to members for ratification, their union said.
Terms of the agreement were not released, but the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) said it includes better scheduling measures and working conditions, along with “more industry-competitive per diems.”
“I am proud of the contract we were able to achieve for our pilot group,” said Capt Lahiru Gunawardhana, chair of the Keewatin ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC).
“This new contract sets the stage for our new relationship with management as ALPA pilots while maintaining fair and industry-standard working conditions. Work-life balance is crucial to the success and well-being of our pilots, and this agreement reflects our endeavour.”
Keewatin Air operates charter flights and a 24-hour air ambulance service in Nunavut and the Canadian Arctic. Its fleet includes Beechcraft King Air 200/B200, Pilatus PC-12 and Cessna Citation 560 Ultra aircraft.
The company’s executive office is in Winnipeg, Man., with additional offices in Rankin Inlet (Kivalliq Region) and Iqaluit (Qikiqtani Region), Nunavut.
Keewatin Air said it transports over 3,000 patients and flies over 2.3 million “medevac miles” each year. The airline is a subsidiary of Exchange Income Corporation.
Pilots at Keewatin joined ALPA in 2023.
“Overtime pay and improvements to scheduling and quality of life items will align our pilots with their peers across Canada,” said Gunawardhana. “This first collective agreement will help both our company and the association with pilot recruitment and retention to make Keewatin more attractive.”
ALPA did not provide a timeline for ratification, but said the union’s Keewatin pilot leaders voted unanimously to send the contract to other members to this next stage.
