I believe the issue of freezes has not been revealed. Westjet must maintain 90% of the pilot positions on the WPSL as of two days ago. That means that as 787's come on strength, NG tails will be transferred over to Swoop and eventually there may/will be approximately 150-170 less pilots at mainline. How we get to that position, while accounting for the addition of new fatigue rules and reserve, is a good game at the bar with napkins and peanuts. Will WJ need the current levels of staffing at YYC/YVR/YYZ on the NG? Who knows.
The WJPA was in the process of negotiating a 1 for 1 deal for NG's to Swoop versus WB's, which at the time was 10 NG's to Swoop for 10 787's. Compare that to 30 tails...
How about the pay? Virtually no change in the Award from what was offered, with no negotiation/input, to OTS pilots. The WJPA was in the process of negotiating that pay (it was looking promising that a much higher pay than currently in place would have been achieved) when the certification vote happened.
Indeed, ALPA rejected the company's offer to negotiate Swoop pay, if the right to strike over the issue or application for common employer was taken off the table for the duration of the negotiations, if I recall correctly the communication from ALPA (Correct me if I am wrong). The MEC got all blustery and puffery with pronouncements of not giving up any rights under the CLC. Okay.
Then the demonstration at HQ. Then the strike vote. All for what? All the lost goodwill...
Part of the problem may lie with the fact that the MEC Chairman and the 3 NC members, who may be fine people (I don't know them) but they were all former ALPA members, all from the same vintage (being hired mid 2003 to 2006), and more importantly, were all prominent members of the WPPA. The WPPA, as we know, was very combative. The worst thing that happened to WJ pilots was to bring that combative element into the relationship here, right off to bat. It sent the wrong message to management.
Anyway, that is all in the past. Spitballing about how we got here won't do much good now, other than as a warning to use more care in who choosing who represents the pilots in the future. An echo chamber at the MEC/LEC level has to be avoided at all costs. We now know the harm it can do.
Ciao
Johnny-Who-Wrote-This-Post-While-Wearing-Only-His-Underwear-And-An-Underwired-Bra