WestJet pilots were supposed to go on a 72-hour strike as of this morning, which would have been the first such strike among pilots in North America in a long time. However, it was called off at the last minute.
In this post:
WestJet and pilots reach tentative agreement
Early this morning it was announced that WestJet Group and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract for WestJet pilots. Both parties are now awaiting a ratification vote to be put forward to membership, which should happen in the coming days.
Here’s how WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech describes this agreement:
“The WestJet Group is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that is industry-leading within Canada and recognizes the important contributions of our valued pilots by providing meaningful improvements to job security and scope, working conditions and wages. We appreciate we were able to arrive at a deal, however, recognize the impact on our guests and we sincerely appreciate their patience during this time. We are pleased to now return our focus to providing friendly, reliable and affordable air service to Canadians for years to come.”
Meanwhile here’s what WestJet ALPA Chairman Barnard Lewall had to say:
“This deal delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work/life balance consistent with collective agreements other ALPA-represented pilot groups are signing with their employers. This contract will also help solve many of WestJet’s pilot attraction and retention issues, benefiting everyone involved from our company to our passengers and fellow employees.”
While it’s great that the strike has been called off, in fairness, much of the damage has already been done. The airline already started canceling many flights on Thursday, in preparation for the strike. WestJet is now working on restoring its schedule, though that won’t be an instant process.
I’m curious to learn the details of this agreement
Quite a few airline unions are currently working on new contracts, and negotiations are largely tense. Up until yesterday, WestJet management and the pilots union seemed like they were worlds apart.
WestJet claimed it was offering pilots salaries of up to $300,000 for narrow body captains and up to $350,000 for wide body captains (in CAD), before overtime and other allowances. Meanwhile the union claimed that pilots were working at a “steep discount” compared to what pilots in the United States are being paid, claiming they on average make only 45% as much. They thought their pay should more closely match pay scales in the United States.
That’s a pretty fundamental disagreement. While I can appreciate WestJet pilots looking at US airline pilot pay, admittedly the economics and currencies are a bit different in the United States vs. Canada. I haven’t yet seen the details of the new agreement, so I’m curious what exactly it looks like.
It’s not unusual for both sides to play hardball before eventually meeting in the middle, and I suspect that’s what happened here.
Bottom line
WestJet pilots have called off their strike at the last minute, though only after lots of flights were already canceled. The airline will start gradually restoring its schedule now, and in the coming days pilots will vote on a new contract.
Management and the union seemed to have some pretty major disagreements, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the finalized contract looks like. These kinds of contracts always set a precedent for other airlines, so I’m sure Air Canada is paying close attention as well. 😉
What do you make of the WestJet pilot strike being called off?
We paid alot of money to fly to vancover and take a cruise got to airport to be told flights cancelled wiv no help to get us flights just left us if we wanted a flight in 3 days which meant we missed our cruise and now stuck at home wiv nothing no help from westjet to make amends so from me we have to fight to get money back no holiday to hear they called off strike ruthless
Impacted consumers should sue, both westjet and the pilots.
No comments on how bad these situations are for the poor consumers? How many people changed flights? How many people cancelled vacations, honeymoons, etc. because last minute flights were expensive. Probably cancelled their hotels too, and all for not.
Both west jet and the union have a part in this, but hard to not blame the union. For 6 figures plus and no physical labor, I think unions are counterproductive.
@Sel, D. Commercial piloting is a profession (we work with our brains in real time) not a job (working with your hands or your back). Professions generally carry infinitely more responsibility than do jobs and are valued more and paid more than jobs, pure and simple. Don't forget also that the CAD is worth about a third less than the dollar, and so $300K could translate to about $200K in the US--not a lot of...
@Sel, D. Commercial piloting is a profession (we work with our brains in real time) not a job (working with your hands or your back). Professions generally carry infinitely more responsibility than do jobs and are valued more and paid more than jobs, pure and simple. Don't forget also that the CAD is worth about a third less than the dollar, and so $300K could translate to about $200K in the US--not a lot of money for a professional (think doctor or lawyer, who use about the same amount of brainpower but who don't have 2 to 5 hundred souls in their care). Your worst mistake is thinking unions are counterproductive--to what? To insuring that employees get a fair shake in both remuneration and working conditions in the general economy, to helping employees to keep up with rising costs everywhere, to insuring that employers don't have free rein in adpoting abusive, anti-worker policies. I don't consider that counterproductive. Pilot and lawyer.
adopting
It's supply and demand.
Congratulations to those at the table for reaching a deal this close to the brink.
The MEC's podcast this morning indicated that the most significant sticking point was finally overcome, they will be working towards merging Operator Certificates for the airlines under WJ into one so Swoop and Sunwing pilots won't get a second-class contract compared to mainline. As well, WestJet will finally have a pension plan for their pilots.
I'm sure more details will...
Congratulations to those at the table for reaching a deal this close to the brink.
The MEC's podcast this morning indicated that the most significant sticking point was finally overcome, they will be working towards merging Operator Certificates for the airlines under WJ into one so Swoop and Sunwing pilots won't get a second-class contract compared to mainline. As well, WestJet will finally have a pension plan for their pilots.
I'm sure more details will come out soon but this will do wonders to stem the losses of pilots from that company.
in other highly relevant pilot labor contract news, multiple sources say that AAL has an agreement in principle with its pilots.
Ridiculous how they are comparing their wages to pilots in the USA. Economics are totally different, why should they get paid the same? If they want pay equal to US Airlines, then fly for a US airline! There's a shortage anyways right?
If there is a shortage why won't the US allow work visas for Canadian airline pilots then? Last I checked it was a ~2 year wait with a long list of requirements on top of being qualified. And to the "US is super special economically and all you foreigners deserve dirt pay", Canada is a country with a higher cost of living and with comparable economic development. Flights cost the same or more in Canada than in the US.
The devil is in the details of the proposed contract. If WestJet pilots got more than what management was willing to offer in their best and final offer, then presumably it was worth it - and it also shows that a threat of a strike was worth it.
WestJet operated 70% of its flights yesterday and was planning to do the same today - so there are either a whole lot of pilots that didn't...
The devil is in the details of the proposed contract. If WestJet pilots got more than what management was willing to offer in their best and final offer, then presumably it was worth it - and it also shows that a threat of a strike was worth it.
WestJet operated 70% of its flights yesterday and was planning to do the same today - so there are either a whole lot of pilots that didn't plan to honor the picket line or the company has a very large number of management pilots that could take over flying duties.
If the pilots really achieved more than the company was offering, there is a very good chance that pilots at one of the remaining US4 airlines - AA, WN and UA - will be emboldened to push even harder. While a separate market, the US and Canada are as alike in many respects as any two economies.
And let's also keep in mind that pilot and flight attendant contracts remain open at AA WN and UA and many other global airlines. Companies know that if they settle w/ pilots, they have to settle w/ FAs too. DL's rich contract for its pilots and its pay raises for FAs plus adding boarding pay significantly escalates the money that the airlines will have to spend - and AA, WN and UA clearly don't want to spend that much money because doing so will wipe out a far higher percentage of their profits than DL which gets a much higher amount of revenue from non-transportation sources including its loyalty program, contract maintenance and its refinery.
AA, WN and UA clearly cannot absorb