Approximately 11,000 Air Canada operational employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have ratified a new four-year collective agreement.
The agreement covers Air Canada's Technical Operations, Maintenance and Operational Support group and is in effect from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2030.
Air Canada announced the completed ratification late on July 22. The agreement had been tentative when the airline disclosed it on July 13.
Who the agreement covers
Air Canada says the TMOS group includes employees working in:
- Technical Operations
- Airports and Cargo
- Logistics and Supply
- Cabin Services
These groups support aircraft maintenance, airport ground operations, baggage and cargo handling, supply functions, and cabin-service work.
The agreement does not cover Air Canada's pilots or flight attendants. It is one of several separate collective agreements the airline has concluded with different employee groups in 2026.
Agreement dates and disclosed terms
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Union | International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers |
| Covered group | Technical Operations, Maintenance and Operational Support |
| Approximate number of employees | 11,000 |
| Effective date | April 1, 2026 |
| Expiry date | March 31, 2030 |
| Duration | Four years |
| Ratification announced | July 22, 2026 |
Air Canada's release confirms the duration, covered groups, and ratification. It does not provide the vote margin or detailed changes to pay, benefits, scheduling, job protections, or other working conditions.
Those terms should not be inferred from earlier agreements or reports about other Air Canada employee groups.
What this changes for travellers
The ratification closes the active bargaining process for one of Air Canada's largest operational employee groups. A work stoppage connected to this round of TMOS bargaining is no longer an immediate risk, and the agreement is scheduled to remain in place through March 2030.
There is no immediate change to tickets, Aeroplan bookings, routes, baggage rules, or airport procedures. Travellers do not need to take any action because of the agreement.
The agreement also does not guarantee that every flight will operate as scheduled. Weather, air-traffic control, aircraft maintenance findings, airport constraints, and other operational issues can still cause delays or cancellations.
For passengers with upcoming trips, the practical change is reduced labour uncertainty connected specifically with the IAMAW-covered TMOS group.
Six Air Canada agreements concluded in 2026
Air Canada says six collective agreements have now been concluded at the airline in 2026.
| Employee group | Union | Approximate employees |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Operations, Maintenance and Operational Support | IAMAW | 11,000 |
| Finance | IAMAW | 170 |
| Clerical | IAMAW | 115 |
| Customer Service | Unifor | 6,000 |
| Flight Operations Crew Schedulers | Unifor | 100 |
| In-Flight Crew Schedulers | Unifor | 90 |
The airline says it has now concluded new agreements with all of its major unions following the expiry of its previous long-term contracts.
That statement refers to completed agreements across the airline's major union groups. Each agreement has its own covered employees, effective dates, and terms.
Timeline
The final steps took place over ten days:
- July 13, 2026: Air Canada announced a tentative four-year agreement for the 11,000-person TMOS group.
- July 22, 2026: Air Canada announced that employees had ratified it.
- April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2030: The agreement's effective period.
The July 13 announcement said ratification was expected over the following days. The July 22 release confirms that the vote was completed and the agreement is now in effect.
Why the covered roles affect daily operations
The TMOS group spans several functions passengers encounter directly or depend on in the background.
Airport and cargo employees support ground handling and the movement of baggage and freight. Technical Operations employees support the maintenance work required to keep aircraft in service. Logistics and Supply employees support parts and materials, while Cabin Services employees perform work connected with aircraft cabins.
Because those roles are distributed across Air Canada's network, the agreement covers more than one airport or one type of operation.
It does not alter Air Canada's published schedule on its own. Its direct effect is to establish the employment terms for the covered group through March 2030.
What remains undisclosed
Air Canada's ratification release does not include:
- the percentage of members who voted in favour
- wage increases
- signing or retroactive payments
- pension or benefit changes
- scheduling provisions
- job-security language
- work-rule changes
If the IAMAW releases a ratification summary or the new collective agreement becomes public, those documents would provide the appropriate basis for reporting the employee terms.
Until then, the confirmed public information is limited to the covered group, approximate employee count, four-year duration, effective dates, and completed ratification.
Bottom line
Air Canada's approximately 11,000 Technical Operations, Maintenance and Operational Support employees represented by the IAMAW have ratified a four-year collective agreement.
The agreement runs from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2030 and covers Technical Operations, Airports and Cargo, Logistics and Supply, and Cabin Services employees.
For travellers, no booking or airport procedure changes are required. The ratification removes the immediate bargaining uncertainty associated with this employee group, while normal operational risks remain separate.
