Union representing air traffic controllers V Porter Airlines says it will have the legal right to go on strike on January 20 if it fails to reach a contract deal, after union members voted unanimously this week to cut jobs.
The Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA) said Wednesday that 100 per cent of its 36 Porter members voted to strike, citing “disrespect” from the airline during negotiations.
The two sides are negotiating what will be the first collective agreement for air traffic controllers since joining CALDA more than 14 months ago.
Negotiations are currently in the final stages of reconciliation with the help of federal mediators, a process that new CALDA National President Mark Jezovich told Global News will conclude on December 29.
Jezovic said in an email Friday that there will then be a 21-day cooling-off period that will end on Jan. 19, 2026. If a tentative agreement has still not been reached by then, he said the union will be “in a legal strike position” starting at 12:01 p.m. ET on Jan. 20.
“Porter continues to offer no significant improvements to our members' operating rules,” he said in a follow-up email. “Since the announcement of the results of the strike vote, we have not met with company representatives.”
Jezovich said another meeting between the two sides with federal mediators is scheduled for Monday, but as of Friday, “no further negotiations have been agreed upon.”
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“We would like to reiterate that we remain fully committed to reaching a meaningful collective agreement at the bargaining table,” he said. “However, we encourage Porter to engage seriously and constructively in the negotiations.”
A spokesperson for Porter told Global News there is “no risk of immediate termination” as negotiations continue, adding that the airline is “hopeful that an agreement can be reached.”
“We understand that reaching a first collective bargaining agreement requires significant effort on both sides,” the airline said in an emailed statement. “In this regard, Porter has made fair and meaningful proposals to CALDA during these negotiations on all key issues.
“Our dispatchers’ work is extremely valued as part of the broader Porter team that provides customers with a differentiated flight experience.”
Porter added that he will “continue to ensure the safety of operations at all times.”
However, CALDA claims Porter is training a group of non-union staff as potential replacements in the event of an air traffic controller strike. The union warns the move is “unsafe, irresponsible and disrespectful to both staff and passengers.”
Porter did not immediately respond to the allegations.
Dispatchers help develop and control aircraft flight plans to their destination.
CALDA also represents dispatchers for six other major Canadian airlines, including Air Canada and WestJet.
Toronto-based Porter has emerged as a leading alternative to these airlines in the post-pandemic era. Over the past couple of years, it has increased its fleet and route map.
This coincided with moves by its workers to unionize: Porter pilots joined the Air Line Pilots Association in August and began negotiations on their first ever contractand the flight attendants joined the Canadian Union of Public Employees the same month.
The possibility of a strike at Porter marks the latest labor dispute in Canada's aviation sector.
Air Transat narrowly avoided pilot strike this week after both sides reached an agreement and Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job for three days in August, only for union members to reject the wage portion of the preliminary agreement. This dispute is currently in arbitration.
WestJet averted its own pilot strike in 2023 and a separate WestJet Encore pilot strike the following year. Last summer, a brief strike by aircraft mechanics led to the grounding of WestJet flights.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
