AC, CALDA reach tentative deal

Air Canada reports that it has reached a tentative collective agreement with the Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA), which represents the carrier’s flight dispatchers. Air Canada’s 74 flight dispatchers are based at the airline’s central operations control centre near Toronto Pearson International Airport and assist flight crew in the preparation for flight departures and arrivals. The agreement is subject to ratification by the union membership. Details of the agreement will not be released pending ratification, and approval by the Air Canada board of directors. This is the third tentative collective agreement reached by Air Canada and its unions in the past three days, following the IAMAW, its largest union, representing mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents on Feb. 10, and Local 2002 of the CAW representing in-flight crew schedulers on Feb.11, 2012.