Air Canada and the IAMAW have finalized a four-year collective agreement for eleven thousand maintenance and technical staff. Approved by fifty-six point sixty-five percent of voting members, the deal is retroactive to April twenty twenty-six and runs through twenty thirty. This is the sixth union contract signed this year, allowing the carrier to focus on strategic growth and its New Frontiers initiative after months of negotiations.
- Air Canada maintenance and tech workers ratified a four-year agreement covering eleven thousand employees.
- The deal passed with fifty-six point sixty-five percent support following a previous rejection in June.
- This marks the sixth major labor contract signed by Air Canada in twenty twenty-six, finalizing current bargaining.
Air Canada said technical operations, maintenance and operational support employees ratified a new collective agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The deal covers 11,000 workers. The airline announced the result on July 23.
Members approved the contract on July 22 with 56.65% in favor. 8,918 members cast ballots out of approximately 11,000 eligible members. It was a tight vote.
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The four-year contract is retroactive to April 1, 2026, and runs through March 31, 2030. Those dates lock the deal into the rest of the decade. The agreement now shifts from bargaining to rollout.
Air Canada said the ratification is its sixth labor deal with unionized groups this year. The company said it now has new contracts with all of its major unions after the expiration of the previous long-term contracts. Six deals are now done.
Michael Rousseau, Air Canada's president and chief executive officer, linked the settlement to the carrier's wider plans. He linked it to New Frontiers.
"The commitment shown by both Air Canada and the IAMAW throughout these negotiations reflects our shared objective of reaching meaningful agreements that support our employees and the company's continued growth. A key priority for us was further acknowledging the skilled expertise and valuable contributions of our TMOS employees. Now that new agreements have been successfully concluded with all major unions after the expiration of the previous long-term contracts, we are well-positioned to advance our New Frontiers strategic plans and deliver even greater value to Air Canada's stakeholders."
Talks that began in February ended with a July vote
Negotiations officially began on February 3, 2026. On April 16, the union filed a request for federal conciliation, citing an impasse on monetary items. The talks kept moving. Slowly.
A tentative agreement followed on June 13, 2026. Members then rejected it in a preliminary vote on June 27. The final ballot reversed that earlier result. It took months.
David Chartrand, general vice-president of IAM Union Canada, framed the talks before the final vote. He spoke before members voted.
"Our members sacrificed to keep Air Canada afloat for the past 30 years. 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."
Dave Flowers, president and directing general chairperson of IAM District 140, led the negotiations and member updates. He led the talks. He described the June 13 tentative deal as an "industry-leading tentative agreement".
Other 2026 settlements filled out the bargaining round
Air Canada also closed deals with other worker groups this year. The roster was broad.
| Group | Count | Union | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer service employees | 6,000 | Unifor | 21% compounded wage increases |
| Finance employees | 170 | IAMAW | 2026 ratification |
| Clerical employees | 115 | IAMAW | 2026 ratification |
| Flight and in-flight crew schedulers | 190 | Unifor | 2026 ratification |
The TMOS group covers the airline's technical operations, maintenance and operational support employees. Air Canada said the airline and the union are moving into implementation. The rollout comes next. Detailed meeting dates on the rollout of new pay scales and benefits are expected in the coming weeks.
