A cohort of 95% of WestJet Pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) voted 93% to authorize a strike if an agreement on a contract is not reached by May 16th. The strike will impact not just WestJet but also Swoop.

Why the strike authorization vote?

WestJet Pilots voted to authorize a strike in a bid to get their contract up to North American standards, thereby competing with Alaska Airlines' and Delta Air Lines’ new contracts. The pilots are also concerned that the airline loses, on average, 30 pilots monthly and has lost 20% of its pilots within a year under current work rules. Ultimately, if negotiations cannot successfully conclude by May 16, WestJet pilots will go on strike.

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But, as per an April 18th statement, Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the ALPA WestJet Master Executive Council, made clear his union considers a strike a means of last resort.

“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. 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.”

Another concern of the pilots is that WestJet, Swoop, and soon Sunwing are all under the same company. This is leading to concerns that contracts for Swoop and Sunwing can undermine the WestJet pilot group and angst about WestJet losing its culture. This is highlighted in the video below:

Proposed solutions

With time running short, the pilots have made public their requests – such as defined pilot progression, improvements in pilot scheduling, and “equal pay for equal work in line with our North American peers,” per WestJetPilots.com. The pilots even held an informational picket to make clear they want WestJet leaders to “Show Us A Future."

20230331_120816 - WestJet ALPA pilots piceting under the Calgary, Alberta, Canada Air Control Tower
Photo: Robert Lynch | ALPA Communications

But WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech, in an interview with Wings Magazine, made clear he was confident in the airline’s pilot recruitment. Von Hoensbroech also added in response to requests for pay equity with US airlines;

“Pilots dream about US wages. The union keeps on repeating that all they want is a standard North American contract. 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.”

WestJet statement – and a union rebuttal

Shortly after the vote was announced, Diederik Pen, WestJet Group Chief Operating Officer, issued the following statement;

"A strike authorization vote is a common step by unions in context of the overall labour negotiation process and does not mean a strike will occur. We remain unwaveringly committed to achieving an agreement that is competitive within Canada's airline industry and ensures we have a long-term sustainable future so that we can continue to operate critical air service for millions of Canadians, while providing jobs for thousands at the WestJet Group."

In response to WestJet’s previously aired sentiment of strike authorization votes being normal, Christina Thomson, Chair of the union’s Strike Committee, clapped back on the WestJet MEC PIREP Podcast Episode 13 “Strike Vote” with the following:

I think the fact that we're this far into conciliation and even to call this strike vote is an absolute failure of the negotiating process.

What's next

As such, if conciliation - or mediated discussion between WestJet management and the pilots union - fails to produce an agreement for ratification by April 22, Canadian labor law triggers a cooling-off period that expires May 13. Although the pilots union has pledged to continue despite making negotiators available, if there is no agreement by May 13, the union will file to initiate strike action on May 16. Indeed, it has already begun standing up strike centers... just in case.

Furthermore, as per multiple podcasts by the pilots' union, the union has made outreach to the Canadian government seeking reassurance they will not be ordered back to work. This means the Canadian government has pledged not to legislate a contract if a strike is called. Also, it is unclear what will happen to tickets if a strike occurs. as Canadian law does not make clear if a strike is considered an event under an airline's control or not. The airline has made no statement yet on what it will do if May 17 comes with a pilot strike.

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Do you think the WestJet pilots will strike? Please share in the comments your thoughts.

Sources: WestJet MEC PIREP Podcast, Wings Magazine

  • WestJet 737 MAX 8
    WestJet
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    WS/WJA
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Calgary International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1994
    CEO:
    Alexis von Hoensbroech
    Country:
    Canada