After months of failed attempts to negotiate with executives and management at Canadian carrier WestJet, the airline’s pilot union is reportedly asking for federal assistance. On Friday, the WestJet Master Executive Council (MEC), represented by the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), filed a request for assistance with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

According to ALPA, the conciliation process allows the pilot group to seek the government’s assistance to reach an agreement with the airline on their second contract. WestJet pilots and management reportedly began contract negotiations in September 2022.

Not on common ground

With only some progress made in conversations, the carrier's management and the pilot group have been unable to find common ground on several key issues. Captain Bernard Lewall, Chair of the WestJet MEC, spoke about the conciliation assistance request.

“After months of negotiations in good faith and making a sincere effort, we have only tentatively agreed to 10 of 39 sections. We are optimistic a federal conciliation officer will be able to assist in moving the bargaining process towards a satisfactory agreement.”

WestJet crew, pilots and flight attendants.
Photo: WestJet/Winnipeg Airports Authority

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Pilot shortage

The news comes amid changes to WestJet’s schedule in the coming months. The airline suspended flights between Halifax and Europe for the summer season, citing operational requirements, capacity constraints, and the deployment of its aircraft across Canada. The airline has also experienced a pilot shortage in the last few months.

“We are seeing a mass exodus of pilots from our airline as they look to explore better options at other airlines,” said Lewall. “WestJet is suffering from major pilot attraction and retention issues, which we believe management can easily navigate by offering a proper contract that recognizes past sacrifices and is reflective of the North American pilot labor marketplace.”

According to ALPA, the carrier is on its way to recovery due to sacrifices from pilots during the pandemic and beyond.

“WestJet faced severe operational challenges during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic but is on its way to recovery—thanks in large part to the personal and financial sacrifices of the pilot group and other employees,” the association said. “For some pilots, those sacrifices included a nearly 70% reduction in pay, while close to half of WestJet’s pilots were furloughed.”

WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8 at the gate.
Photo: WestJet

Along with the prolonged impact of the pandemic, the Canadian airline experienced challenges late last year due to extreme weather. In response to the aftermath of canceling more than 1,500 flights during the peak holiday travel period, a WestJet executive was in opposition to automatically compensating affected passengers. Instead, they urged the government to play a more prominent role when providing resolutions for impacted passengers.

Now that the request for conciliation has been filed, the Minister of Labour reportedly has 15 days to appoint a conciliation officer. When the officer is appointed, they will work with the airline’s pilots and management for 60 days to reach an agreement. If both parties remain at an impasse following this period, a 21-day cooling-off period begins before the parties can engage in self-help, according to ALPA.

Source: CTV News