digits_ wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 8:42 pm
This is interesting:
AMFA’s bargaining committee is standing by to continue discussions with the Company. The parties are separated by economic difference of approximately 7%, less than $8 million dollars a year.
Does that mean that if WJ gave everyone another 7% on top of the last TA, that an agreement would have been reached? Doesn't sound very excessive.
Presumably WJ can now negotiate a settlement for that amount and end the strike right away, or they can wait for arbitration to play out and hope for a cheaper settlement.
Of course, they got completely pantsed by AMFA because they had a chance to do an orderly shutdown & lockout, but they gave up on that once they got the arbitration referral.
WJ can probably save more money and pain by agreeing now and forgoing the arbitration, but they might be stupid/spiteful enough to hold on.
How long would it take for cancellations to start happening? I'm not seeing much yet on the FIDS for YYC. Also hearing reports of WS AME's still on the job doing work.
Most aircraft already had the required maintenance done for the evenings flights.
The shit will probably hit the fan tommorow. Now of course some flights will happen as they have a few management people that can release aircraft and they have scabs lined up....but there will be cancelations and heavy delays.
Unless of course they come to their senses and give us a decent offer to save the weekend. 3 days will cost the company a bundle.
ACYYC wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 9:16 pm
How long would it take for cancellations to start happening? I'm not seeing much yet on the FIDS for YYC. Also hearing reports of WS AME's still on the job doing work.
It depends how long the pilots will fly broken airplanes.
Seems WJ got a referral to CIRB, but that didn’t legally preclude a strike. So, they struck once CIRB confirmed they could.
Strong move, will be interesting to see if the Minister lets this play out, or if he’ll be annoyed at the smart lawyerin’.
This is interesting:
AMFA’s bargaining committee is standing by to continue discussions with the Company. The parties are separated by economic difference of approximately 7%, less than $8 million dollars a year.
Does that mean that if WJ gave everyone another 7% on top of the last TA, that an agreement would have been reached? Doesn't sound very excessive.
No...not on top of the last TA, but on top of what they have been trying to hammer out....but yes - it's not a lot. I believe it's in the neighborhood of 10 - 12 percent from the last TA but detail are short right now. There's also the issue of WSP and benifits. Again those details right now are scarce due to the nature of negotiations
ACYYC wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 9:16 pm
How long would it take for cancellations to start happening? I'm not seeing much yet on the FIDS for YYC. Also hearing reports of WS AME's still on the job doing work.
It depends how long the pilots will fly broken airplanes.
justapassenger wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 11:33 am
May I remind you….Canada is a democracy….you selected: WestJet as a job (and could / should ask about compensation and increases during your interview…..the door is not locked….you are not forced to work there if you are not happy), 2: the liberals, and 3: your union representatives!!
May I also remind you….that Canada has a constitution…..and something called the Canada Labour Code…..which makes all this legal and possible.
Shame on you and your corporate cronies for ruining canadian travel plans and dragging the canadian economy down because of your corporate greed.
Also, hilarious that the arbitration came down the pipe and you immediately came in here running your mouth about how the AMFA got played. Checkers vs Chess.
I’d love to hear more of your sob stories and horrible opinions, but something tells me your long weekend downtime has been gobbled up Mr. Westjet Manager.
Good luck with the spreadsheets and calculators this weekend!
WJ senior management/ONEX got ‘pantsed’. They look like the labour relations amateurs that they are.
Management has become so accustomed to being able to do end runs around the process with the help of their government friends that they have forgotten how to legitimately bargain.
Other parties similarly affected should be paying attention.
Not WJ, lots of good people working there. Maybe Onex can clean house and replace all execs and management who pushed 3 employee groups to strike mandates or beyond.
Management: treat your employees right, or go away. Find another business to ruin. WJ used to be a great company.
…..follow up question from the ETOPS comment if I may, seeing the YYC departure board, and watching the news, there are still Westjet flights operating. I believe the news said 33 aircraft worth. How are these operating? Who is maintaining them?
Service checks will be coming due very soon. I guess if they get outstation maintenance to do them they can keep a few planes running but man this must be costing them a ton of money.
The other thing I'm wondering about is getting all these planes flying again afterwards. Lots of work will be past due and it won't get completed in one day. The ramp up again after the dust settles will be slow.
Haha. You all don’t get it. You need to think big picture and like a CEO. There is a budget and pool for wages and compensation. It grows, what are they to do?!?! Raise tickets….people don’t fly….decrease profits…..no, that’s not a mission of a CEO….you layoff. You put yourself in this position. Good luck. Your union postured and did the wrong move. That’s what you get for a US union.
Your posts are stupid but they keep getting more amusing by the minute. You are claiming the CEO is going to lay off AMEs to protect profit... So what are they going to do with the plane and pilots? Just park a multi million dollar plane while they huff and puff no AMEs are around to work on them?
Airlines have always been cynical and extract the maximum value from passengers. If they needed to shed jobs it's due to the overall economy not an extra dollar in your ticket price and that's nothing the AME or pilots can control by lowering their wages.
JustaCanadian wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 4:30 pm
And to think of all the people that vote liberal because they “respect workers rights”. Ouch. Just one more notch to add to Trudeaus corruption on the way out. He will do the same for Air Canada pilots next.
You will own nothing and you will be happy.
Except he can't do that for AC pilots. They already have a contract so he needs NDP support to vote them back to work... Good luck on that. The AME were working on their very first contract hence they didn't need NDP support
goingnowherefast wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2024 8:17 pm
Not WJ, lots of good people working there. Maybe Onex can clean house and replace all execs and management who pushed 3 employee groups to strike mandates or beyond.
Management: treat your employees right, or go away. Find another business to ruin. WJ used to be a great company.
My thoughts exactly with respect to 3 groups within the last year or so. I’d be embarrassed to wear the WJ uniform with this current mis-management group.
This current situation just made the news on a local Detroit TV station. Now that is not easy to do..
We have NEGOTIATED - not arbitration- a 5 year deal
This means TA2 will be voted on. Don't know details but it sounds like what we wanted we are getting.
From the union:
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – June 30, 2024 – We are grateful and relieved to announce that the AMFA-represented Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and WestJet have successfully negotiated a contract covering the next five years. This will end our lawful strike action against the company, effective immediately.
As a direct result of our members’ solidarity, AMFA was able to reach a second tentative agreement (TA2) providing substantial improvements over both the current terms of employment and the terms provided for in the first tentative agreement.
TA2 provides for immediate pay increases, full restoration of the WestJet Savings Plan (WSP), and improved benefits for the employees.
WestJet’s final concessions were obtained due to three principal factors:
The CIRB’s decision to uphold our right to strike
The exemplary discipline our members demonstrated in implementing that strike
The Union’s commitment to direct all employees back to work immediately now that TA2 has been signed
We have requested that all AMEs return to work immediately so that we can provide the value of their labour that was the primary element in achieving this deal.
AMFA-WJ members in good standing will soon vote to ratify the TA to solidify it as the group’s first collective bargaining agreement. Ratification will render the compulsory arbitration ordered by the Labour Minister unnecessary.
The Union Negotiating Committee is grateful for everyone’s indispensable contribution and support of labour groups across Canada.
We believe this outcome would not have been possible without the strike, but we do regret the disruption and inconvenience it has caused the traveling public over the Canada Day holiday period. The timing was coincidental as the negotiation process did not follow a predictable timeline. We are pleased the strike lasted only 48 hours and that service can now return to normal. We appreciate the support the public has given us as our organization stood up to management on behalf of hardworking Canadians. We appreciate everyone’s patience in the face of cancelled flights and changing plans.
Now it’s time to show the world how we make WestJet fly. Thank you from all of us at AMFA and the WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers we represent.
Congratulations to the AMEs at Westjet for standing strong.
The management at Westjet should have negotiated fairly in the first place. This obviously shows Westjet management made a bad decision which cost the company money and heartache. They should have offered a fair contract without forced government interference and eventual strike in the first place.
Just goes to show that they could have come to an agreement without the need for the government involvement in ordering the CIRB to impose binding arbitration. Funny how that works.
