WS/WO Layoff Mitigation Agreement

[George Taylor]

Recall rights are 120 months

[Blue42]

Recall rights are 120 months

For a layoff yes, not sure what that has to do with a discussion about LOAs.

[Furloughed]

Recall rights are 120 months

For a layoff yes, not sure what that has to do with a discussion about LOAs.

Ummm, Blue42, you're the only one here talking about LOA. The Thread title is "Layoff Mitigation Agreement" and the news article was about AC laying off it's employees and taking them off of CEWS. So yes, WJ is looking for a Let from the Govt to do mass layoffs. Not sure if you heard but there are a lot of other employees at WJ other than pilots. I know...I had a hard time believing it too, I always thought it was all about us...but....hey!. The gate agents and other ground staff are not required with a 95% reduction in flying, and there is more than 50 of them. So I suspect that is who WJ is planning on giving the boot as soon as they cheaply can. The pilots have 120 Months before they can permanently get rid of us. George Taylor is correct.

[aerobod]

Just to be clear, from a Federal labour law perspective all temporary layoffs / LOAs have to be made permanent with a severance / termination payout after 6 months, if there isn't a CBA that states otherwise. WS is asking to extend this for a longer period to allow recall beyond 6 months for the employees not under a CBA. The other issue is the notification period to the Government when more than 50 employees are terminated at once, leading to a need to start the termination process 16 weeks before the 6 month LOA is reached, so the decision point is looming soon.

There is no "cheap" termination, WS can terminate at any point if a role is being reduced for the statutory termination pay, the calculation for which doesn't change if it is at the current mandatory 6 month max, or if the period is extended by the Government. What WS is asking is to allow employees to be kept on the payroll in an LOA state longer than the 6 month max, so that they have more flexibility to recall as the operation spools up again.

If someone is on an LOA, their terms of employment at WS allows them to work elsewhere (as long as it isn't for a competitor) and keep their benefits and employment status. The employee commitment is to be available in a "reasonable period of time" to re-commence work when recalled.

[Blue42]

Recall rights are 120 months

For a layoff yes, not sure what that has to do with a discussion about LOAs.

Ummm, Blue42, you're the only one here talking about LOA. The Thread title is "Layoff Mitigation Agreement" and the news article was about AC laying off it's employees and taking them off of CEWS. So yes, WJ is looking for a Let from the Govt to do mass layoffs. Not sure if you heard but there are a lot of other employees at WJ other than pilots. I know...I had a hard time believing it too, I always thought it was all about us...but....hey!. The gate agents and other ground staff are not required with a 95% reduction in flying, and there is more than 50 of them. So I suspect that is who WJ is planning on giving the boot as soon as they cheaply can. The pilots have 120 Months before they can permanently get rid of us. George Taylor is correct.

No shit Sherlock. If you read a bit you’ll see my response earlier was the explanation as to why the exemption was requested. As has been stated in the company webinars. After 6 months on a LOA, leave of absence, the company must pay severance and the employee cuts all ties with the company! They are no longer employed or able to come back. They lose all seniority, with applicable pay rates, vacation, benefits. The exemption is so the can extend the LOA and STAY employed at Westjet!!!

[privateer]

I am sorry you got furloughed, but honestly writing on AvCanada just to stir the pot isn't productive. Maybe your time should be better spent finding temporary employment until this hopefully blows over by next year. The exemption was to allow more time for the company to slowly bring people back beyond the 6 months. This is a very unique situation everybody is in not just WestJet. The plan is to bring everybody back eventually and it would be highly counterintuitive to pay 6-7 thousand employees severance at a time when the company needs the liquidity. I would imagine those furloughed WestJetters would love a job to come back to.

[George Taylor]

Unless it is stated in a labour agreement, than it is 12 months. Pilots are protected as your CBA states 120 months.

My understanding for this is the law, right now, states that anyone on a LOA for 6 months is then required to be paid a severance from the company. Asking for a let on this is to allow employees to remain on an LOA for longer then 6 months. We’ll see if that’s the case. AC is offering 24 months LOAs to FAs right now, not sure if they have an exemption or it’s part of their contract agreement.

6 months....

Nothing in our CBA stating 120 months, not sure where you got that from. In the CBA you can take a personal leave up to 6 months.

Recall rights are 120 months

For a layoff yes, not sure what that has to do with a discussion about LOAs.

Umm, you said NOTHING in our CBA states 120 months, I was merely pointing out what that is in reference to. As others have stated, chill out.

[flyinhigh]

Sry correct, I was thinking of Layoff.

6 months....

Nothing in our CBA stating 120 months, not sure where you got that from. In the CBA you can take a personal leave up to 6 months.

[notwhoyouthinkIam]

WestJet will not be laying off any more active pilots.

It is not their intention to lay any furloughed pilots off as long as CEWS continues.

Pilots who have been furloughed were given the option between CEWS and lay off. Pilots who chose CEWS can expect to continue to receive CEWS as long as the program is active.

[kiaszceski]

The program ends on August 29th.
But it has been under-utilized. So if the government can extend it it would be a huge relief to those still waiting to be recalled

[ayseven]

Well, we are booked on WJ in July if it makes you feel any better. They even allowed a change to the dates with no charges. That tells me they WANT to be a little nicer to paying people, than some airlines have maybe been in the past. Treat everyone as if they were your grandmother, and your business will succeed.

[learcapt]

[quote=privateer post_id=1118044 time=1590773057 user_id=4975]
I am sorry you got furloughed, but honestly writing on AvCanada just to stir the pot isn't productive. Maybe your time should be better spent finding temporary employment until this hopefully blows over by next year. The exemption was to allow more time for the company to slowly bring people back beyond the 6 months. This is a very unique situation [b]everybody[/b] is in not just WestJet. The plan is to bring everybody back eventually and it would be highly counterintuitive to pay 6-7 thousand employees severance at a time when the company needs the liquidity. I would imagine those furloughed WestJetters would love a job to come back to.
[/quote]

Said only by a person that is not furloughed.

[ALPApolicy]

Question: With respect to the possibility that WestJet *might* layoff more pilots as,of October 1, 2020, does Encore's last MOA preclude Encore pilots being laid off prior to Jan 1, 2021?

[Dizzy D]

No, the bump down language in the PTA can cause layoffs at Encore.

[kiaszceski]

Question: With respect to the possibility that WestJet *might* layoff more pilots as,of October 1, 2020, does Encore's last MOA preclude Encore pilots being laid off prior to Jan 1, 2021?

Well, you can directly ask you Alpa Rep.

[ALPApolicy]

Well, you can directly ask you Alpa Rep.

Yes. I could.

[tbayav8er]

MOA 3 has been voted in, and goes to March 31st with no further layoffs until then. Also includes some improvements over MOA 2.

[notwhoyouthinkIam]

MOA 3 has been voted in, and goes to March 31st with no further layoffs until then. Also includes some improvements over MOA 2.

Improvements such as increasing Swoop flying and having those flights go from YYZ instead of YHM.

[tbayav8er]

That news had not been released at the time I posted this update. All I knew at the time I posted this update was that Swoop was capped at 6 aircraft for the duration of the MOA. In any case, I agree, this is brutal.

MOA 3 has been voted in, and goes to March 31st with no further layoffs until then. Also includes some improvements over MOA 2.

Improvements such as increasing Swoop flying and having those flights go from YYZ instead of YHM.

[flyinhigh]

Improvements such as increasing Swoop flying and having those flights go from YYZ instead of YHM.

It's almost as if WJ is trying to repeat history. So many have intended to run out of YHM only to slide over to YYZ.