CATCA represents roughly 1,800 workers who provide air traffic control services at Canadian towers and area control centres for flights departing and arriving within Canada and international flights transiting Canadian domestic airspace to other destinations across the globe.
CATCA was first unionized in 1962. The current collective agreement expires on March 31, 2023.
In this round of negotiations, CATCA wishes to address some of the current challenges being faced by workers, and propose key areas of focus for the benefit of all.
- CATCA will be seeking economic pay and premium increases and adjustments that properly reward the occupation for its unique and indispensable role in the aviation sector and that reflect current economic realities.
- In addition, the union will be seeking protections regarding current scheduling practices which will serve to enhance and ensure better work/life balance and quality of life, particularly for operational personnel. Besides patterns of work and rest days, members value and expect as much stability and predictability as possible in their actual shift times.
- Work-life balance for families is a key issue for our membership. CATCA would like to discuss improvements to maternity benefits, as well as personal and family-related leave to account for the demands and nature of shift work.
- CATCA will be seeking the addition of language which will clearly define the rights and responsibilities of members and employer in an essential service environment. If air traffic control is truly an essential service, then the responsibility for that should not be borne entirely by members. There should be a corresponding responsibility on the employer to ensure staffing requirements are met at all times, and that the impact on members when the company fails to do so is appropriately recognized and compensated accordingly.
- With regards to job security, CATCA will propose changes to the language regarding staffing to provide better clarity, and predictability in the event of planned changes and/or unforeseen circumstances.
- The union also wishes to discuss a moratorium on closures of ATC facilities and the conversion of control towers to remote services, and to ensure Canadian airspace remains controlled in Canada. In addition, we want to guarantee Air Traffic Controllers are trained within Canada.
