The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that contract talks have begun between Air Canada and the union representing its 4,500 pilots, bargaining the union hopes will bring big wage gains to keep pace with the significant raises won by counterparts at WestJet and U.S. carriers. The Globe's Eric Atkins writes that Charlene Hudy, head of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) at the airline, said she is aiming for higher pay and better working conditions amid a scarcity of pilots. Pilots at Canada's largest airline are in the ninth of a 10-year deal that provides annual raises of 2 per cent. Air Canada Pilots Association members voted to fold their union into ALPA, which represents 73,000 North American pilots, and triggered a clause to enter contact talks one year early. WestJet's 1,800 pilots, represented by ALPA, recently ratified a four-year deal that raises wages by 24 per cent over the life of the contract. Pilots at Delta Air Lines in March approved a four-year contract with 34-per-cent wage hikes. Pilots at United Airlines have been offered an even richer deal, as the busy summer travel season gets under way. JetBlue pilots in January voted for a contract with 21.5-per-cent wage hikes over 18 months.