Current and ongoing negotiations involving NZALPA are detailed below. For any queries related to negotiations, please email [email protected] 

Regional Air New Zealand Combined Air Nelson and Mount Cook Collective Agreement for Pilots (RANCAP) – Advocate Mark Dignan 

The NZALPA team met on 9, 10 and 11 January to further develop a shared view and common understanding of both collective agreements. Following this work, the team met on nine days with company representatives from Air Nelson and Mount Cook for further collaborative discussions.

The RANCAP team worked through the following, making significant progress: 

• leave mechanisms including annual leave, sick leave, alternative holidays (AHR), special bids and bereavement leave 
• further use of the regional seniority list 
• base transfer provisions 
• statutory clauses and standard provisions 
• rostering provisions
• standby system
• days off/time off 

As part of the RANCAP meetings, the 28-day roster trial for Mount Cook was discussed at length, including input from a regional airline’s crew resourcing subject matter expert. The team felt that this work would be more usefully addressed as part of the wider RANCAP discussions. Therefore, the trial will not occur at this time.  

Massey School of Aviation– Advocate Adam Nicholson 

A series of days of minor industrial action over December and January brought the University back to the negotiating table on 12 and 13 February.  Ideas were exchanged but no settlement could be reached, primarily because of the University’s new claim - insistence on the introduction of new rosters. The new rosters change the working day requirements so that pilots who, currently, may only be required to work on one day of the weekend in a four week roster will be required to work a six week roster where each pilot will be required to work on six of the 12 weekend days in every roster (two full weekends and two half weekends).  Negotiations remain unresolved. 

L3 CTS – Advocates Adam Nicholson and Joy Walpole Leva’a 

Once the wording of a seniority based promotion provision is resolved a settlement is likely. 

Virgin Australia New Zealand – Advocate Adam Nicholson

The NZALPA negotiating team and the Virgin Australia management team continue to work constructively, albeit slowly, towards “all pilots all ports” and parity of contract between the New Zealand employed pilots and the Australian employed pilots.   The next meeting was scheduled for the end of February. 

Airways Flight Service – Advocates Adam Nicholson and Joy Walpole Leva’a 

The second round of negotiations between Airways and its Flight Service staff took place on 15 and 18 February.  Primarily these negotiations address the bringing together of Flight Service employees from Christchurch (under an expired collective agreement) and Paraparaumu (under individual employment agreements) into one collective agreement.  This involves establishing which contract provisions are agreed to be the same; which can be agreeably amended to be the same; and which may have to continue to be significantly different.  The process seems to be progressing amicably and constructively so far. 

Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT) – Advocates Adam Nicholson and Joy Walpole Leva’a

The NZALPA bargaining team has been appointed and was to meet in the week commencing 18 February to finalise claims and interests before starting meetings with the employer.