Calgary – The WestJet ALPA – Airline Pilots Association have served 72 hours strike notice and could ground the airline in time for the Victoria Day Long weekend.
On May 8, The ALPA stated that information pickets would go up in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.
The threat of a walkout was posted on May 15:
At 8:00 p.m., May 15, WestJet pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued a 72-hour strike notice to WestJet management and the government. This starts the clock on a 72-hour countdown to negotiate a fair and equitable contract, before the pilots can legally utilize all the options available to them under the Canada Labour Code.
NOTE on May 16 , YXX Posted: We encourage all passengers who are flying with Westjet and Swoop to please monitor their flight status. If you require further information or request to change your travel plans, please contact Westjet or Swoop directly http://bit.ly/3Bxy276
The union could have filed the notice over the weekend, but in a bid to keep the airline operating, agreed to extend negotiations. This sign of good faith was to allow enough time to review additional proposals put forth by both parties. While progress was made on most non-cost items, both sides have been unable to reach an agreement that will serve the best interests of all parties involved.
“After nine months of negotiating, management still fails to understand today’s labour market conditions, leading to a mass exodus of our pilots in search of better work opportunities, and more will follow if this agreement does not meet our pilots’ needs,” said Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the WestJet ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC). “Without the economic and job security improvements our pilots require, WestJet will be parking planes, as they will not have enough pilots to operate them or accomplish its own growth strategy.”
As of 3:00 a.m. ET on May 19, the WestJet pilots plan to begin lawful job action, which could include grounding all aircraft and effectively shutting down operations.
