Important Development - 93% of WestJet Pilots have voted in Favour of Striking , Will there be a Standard North American Contract ?

In an inportant development, the union representing WestJet pilots has today voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate, that might create an weather of uncertainty over Canadians' travel plans.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said its 1,600 WestJet pilots are ready to launch a strike as early as May 16 - the Tuesday ahead of the May long weekend , that generally kicks off the summer travel season for the Canadians.

• 95 per cent of pilots took part in the strike vote, with 93 per cent of them in favour of the mandate.
• WestJet said last month the threat of a strike is a common tactic in negotiations.
• Talks continue through the federal conciliation process, which will end April 24 followed by a three-week break, unless the parties agree to extend negotiations.

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) statement read ,

With less than a week before the end of conciliation, WestJet pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), sent a strong message to WestJet management with an overwhelming vote of support for lawful job action, should a negotiated settlement not be reached by May 16.

95 per cent of pilots took part in the strike vote, with 93 per cent of them in favour of the mandate.

The workers' issues revolve around job protection, pay and scheduling at the airline and its discount subsidiary Swoop, said Bernard Lewall, who heads the union's WestJet contingent.

With 95 percent of pilots voting, an overwhelming 93 percent voted to strike if needed. This vote is a clear sign that WestJet pilots remain committed to securing a North American industry-standard contract. However, WestJet management seems not to be convinced of any action.

• WestJet chief operating officer Diederik Pen said in a statement that strike authorization is a “common step” by unions during labour negotiations and “does not mean a strike will occur.”
• WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said that bookings were not being affected by the threat of a strike and that he expects to resolve the standoff.

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) believes,

Such a contract will go a long way toward fixing WestJet’s recruitment and retention issues, which are largely due to the airline trying to reduce costs by driving down wages and refusing to address scheduling concerns and other poor working conditions, including job security for our members especially given WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing.

WestJet, despite repeatedly touting its growth strategy, is hemorrhaging around 30 pilots per month and is on track to lose up to 20 percent of its experienced pilot work force within the next year.

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says , “Recruitment is actually running pretty well,” and he is not convinved of a Standard North American Contract ,

“Pilots dream about U.S. wages. The union keeps on repeating that all they want is a standard North American contract,” Alexis von Hoensbroech said.

“But the U.S. is a totally different market on the aviation side,”  “If you want the wages of another country, then you move to this other country and then live with everything it comes with.”

“On average, every 18 hours a WestJet Group pilot turns in their wings for a better career,” said Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the ALPA WestJet Master Executive Council."

“We are hopeful that today’s strong strike vote result and the excellent show of unity displayed during our informational picket last month incentivize management to reach an agreement with us—an agreement that will provide job security and career progression for our pilots and, most importantly, stability to the airline and our passengers.”

While flight disruptions are never an ideal outcome for pilots or passengers, WestJet pilots are prepared for any outcome, thanks in large part to a $2 million (USD) grant from our union’s war-chest, which was unanimously authorized by ALPA’s Executive Board.

“Our goal is to avoid a strike; however, WestJet fails to recognize the value and the expertise we bring to our airline and the pride we have in transporting our guests safely to their destinations every day,” reiterated Lewall. "

“We want to continue being a major contributor to WestJet’s success and help our airline achieve its growth strategy, but if management leaves us no other option, we will be ready to take job action only if forced.” 

The pilots will be in a legal position to commence job action May 16; however, ALPA remains committed to the bargaining process and will make their negotiators available during the 21-day cooling-off period, which is set to expire May 13. If no agreement has been reached at that time, ALPA will be able to file a 72-hour strike notice. 

In a recent development, Government of Canada has approved the acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines by WestJet Airlines Ltd . WestJet has a all Boeing fleet of 101 aircraft , that has 91 narrowbody B737 -NG/Max models and 06 widebody B787 Dreamliners.

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