Westjet cover up: Alleged sexual assaults by pilot

[Stumper]

Why is it ok to read from her Statement of Claim but not from her blog?

It's ok to read either. However the blog doesn't really have any bearing on the sexual assault claim. My guess is that her feminism opinions might have been influenced by her experience with this toerag. Having said that, I agree it's probably unwise of her to publicaly state that anyone who isn't a feminist is an "asshole". Not exactly a great way to get a new job...similar to posting drunken facebook pics.

+1 very well said

[North Shore]

It seems that we have strayed a little from the issues concerned to the personalities involved - of the complainant, Pilot M, and of some of our fellow posters.

Please continue with the issues, as calling another poster a moron doesn't really strengthen your arguments.

Thanks!

[land3]

CBC Interview with complainant:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/westjet ... -1.3479550

[2R]

Follow SOP's ,make sure you complete all items on the checklist.
Romance checklist complete ,continue, If not complete pull up go around, and try a different approach. Do not attempt the back course without clearance or you will get a slap in the face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W79WxSqpq9E

[CpnCrunch]

CBC Interview with complainant:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/westjet ... -1.3479550

A number of allegations against the same pilot. Looks like Gregg has some explaining to do.

[Waldo Peppar]

This is the lead story on "The National" tonight.....while it is not a fact....I do not believe WestJet's nightmare is going to go away any time soon. Apparently 17000 have signed a petition for Greg to resign.

[altiplano]

Lawyer considering class-action status in Westjet sexual assault suit

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... e29067213/

Sounds like many more women have come forward.

[boeingboy]

Well - some clarification....the pilot has been charged.

The U.S. federal prosecutor in Maui laid charges, but Lewis said she was told the pilot can only be arrested if he returns to the island.

CBC news has confirmed there are charges pending against the pilot but could not verify the exact charges.

Regardless of time passed, how interested anyone is or isn't, or whatever dream fairy you believe in. He has been charged. Why he is still on active duty with WestJet is beyond me. He should answer for his actions, and WestJet should be reviewing their procedures.

[brooks]

I watched the National tonight, looks like a slow news day. She is really playing the victim card. The shot of her walking along the sea wall with her mutt kinda wanted to make me barf.

At any rate we should let the court decide if there is something here. IMHO the pilot should have been fired a long time ago.

[mmm..bacon]

^make up your mind which it is, Brooks? Do you want the courts to decide, or do you want him fired? Fire him without a court decision, then he'll be the one doing the suing ...

[photofly]

They were completely entitled to fire him, if WJ had a fair investigation, whose outcome based on evidence was a decision that he did assault her, and if WJ decided that dismissal was an appropriate penalty based on the seriousness of what they decided he did. Then there would be some kind of appeal process to exhaust. Significant bars to reach but not impossible by any means, and no court decision required.

They did hold an investigation; the question is, was it competently done?

[pianokeys]

She is really playing the victim card. The shot of her walking along the sea wall with her mutt kinda wanted make me barf.

I'm sure you'd be saying the same thing if that was your wife, mother, or daughter "playing the victim card"...

[Rockie]

Confirmation that there are charges pending puts this in a whole new dimension. Now on top of their already huge mess it looks like Westjet tailored this employee's schedule so he wouldn't have to answer those charges (whatever they are). Someone already said it I think, but when the smoke clears this is going to be a text book case in business schools of an HR failure of truly epic proportions.

[brooks]

Hey. Just saying. Compared to the CBC news reporter she was overly jazzed up and I thought it was a bit dramatic. Considering nothing has been proven in court she is really going full throttle on this. I even think there could be counter sue for defamation.

[photofly]

It's extra pressure on the company to settle, but usually having made a big splash in the media is unhelpful to the complainant in a court case.

[springlocked]

Obviously heads should roll. I can't believe a corporation would try and sweep this under the table but having said that maybe the WS approach to trying to sell this "big family" image might shed a little light. The HR department must have some qualified people somewhere in the department which makes me suspect someone who had some authority tried to cover this all up. Possibly this might have even blind sided the "big office" if a middle manager intercepted it. Why it happened is a bordering on the biggest brain fart for years in the industry. The short sighted approach blows my mind. I'm sure it was all about the "corporate" image. Ironic now since what could have been a minor blip has now gone viral.

The protocol is very simple, suspend all parties involved with pay, do your internal investigation and once charges are laid pilot can no longer meet his scheduling commitment to the company. Then he should be shown the door unless he goes to to court. Pay him until such time until such time he is found guilty, then fire his ass. If he is found innocent. Life continues on and WS is off the hot seat with some minor changes in their sexual harassment policy and crew layover rules.

At the end of the day someone other than the parties involved should be fired. Some manager made a very poor decision and WS has blemished it's "goody-2-shoe" image. Could it be they are so internally brainwashed that no one could believe that something like this could actually happen. Thus their initial reaction. This type of incident management must assume guilty until proven innocent. It's the only way to deal with something like this in the present day.

Something like this could very well push the union issue over the top at WS. I know I would be asking questions about legal protection and assistance out of country.

[Jean-Pierre]

Are crew member actively encouraged by Westjet to socialize during layover as part of their company culture? Is alcohol use also part of that culture? I wonder if this is the inevitable ugly side of that system. This will come out in court after the question is asked why did she go to his hotel room and drink. It seem that the new complaint is not all about Pilot M but there is more situation with other pilot. Could be nothing or could be a systemic problem. Maybe many Westjet pilot are nervous right now because something happen in these hotel party during layover. The brand is hurt anyway. The public sees a pilot in leather jacket and don't think cool guy anymore they think sleazebag.

If they keep Pilot M from entering the US to avoid arrest they are in trouble. If he is an actual predator he could have waited to be outside Canada to attack knowing he would leave the next day and avoid possible arrest.

[awitzke]

I was under the impression that some airlines put pilots and other crew in separate hotels to stop this sort of thing form happening. I don't remember who told me this or where I read it but for some reason I recall hearing/seeing it said once. If that is the case one could imagine that encouraging "company" culture to meet after a flight for a drink in a private hotel room is probably not the best idea. Alcohol starts flowing and then before you know it people make poor choices. I can understand encouraging to meet for dinner at a restaurant or something but in a hotel room?

[Longtimer]

I was under the impression that some airlines put pilots and other crew in separate hotels to stop this sort of thing form happening. I don't remember who told me this or where I read it but for some reason I recall hearing/seeing it said once. If that is the case one could imagine that encouraging "company" culture to meet after a flight for a drink in a private hotel room is probably not the best idea. Alcohol starts flowing and then before you know it people make poor choices. I can understand encouraging to meet for dinner at a restaurant or something but in a hotel room?

Most companies treat their adult employees as adults who are able to make adult choices in how they behave. Putting crew in different hotels is baby sitting ..... I would bet there is some interaction between the cabin crew members also from time to time, so then I guess the company would need to separate crew members by gender as well as sexual preferences....

[Old fella]

Sadly WJ, at present is in the public domain with a less than stellar profile. As media types are fond of saying " does this story have legs". At this point it certainly does.

[photofly]

Most companies treat their adult employees as adults who are able to make adult choices in how they behave. Putting crew in different hotels is baby sitting ..... I would bet there is some interaction between the cabin crew members also from time to time, so then I guess the company would need to separate crew members by gender as well as sexual preferences....

Putting people up in the same hotel is fine, however, if the company encourages - or even turns a blind eye to - regular out of hours socializing involving alcohol then it's not obviously complying with its responsibilities to maintain professional relationships between staff. If it's "reasonably foreseeable" that harassment could occur then the company has an obligation to take steps to prevent it.

The poster-child for companies getting into trouble for what staff get up to is allegations of unwanted sexual attention at or after office parties particularly where alcohol was served. If every away-trip for every crew has an "office party" atmosphere then the "our employees are adults" argument just won't cut it. Particularly because of the supervisory/managerial roles of some of the crew over others. If a captain and a stewardess go out drinking together they are not equal adults, because one has professional responsibilities over the other. WestJet - just like all companies - has a responsibility to make sure that relationship isn't abused.

The details of the company's anti-harassment policy is all important, along with what steps they take to enforce it when staff are overseas, and/or staying in hotels together.

[Rockie]

Putting people up in the same hotel is fine, however, if the company encourages - or even turns a blind eye to - regular out of hours socializing involving alcohol then it's not obviously complying with its responsibilities to maintain professional relationships between staff. If it's "reasonably foreseeable" that harassment could occur then the company has an obligation to take steps to prevent it.

This isn't Afghanistan, people are free to associate with whomever they want. I also don't see how putting crews in the same hotel where they may consume alcohol together makes it "reasonably foreseeable" that harassment will occur. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of time no harassment occurs much less sexual assault.

[digits_]

Putting crew in different hotels is baby sitting .....

So bisexual crew members will have a whole hotel to themselves ?
Operating an airline is going to get even more expensive !

[photofly]

This isn't Afghanistan, people are free to associate with whomever they want. I also don't see how putting crews in the same hotel where they may consume alcohol together makes it "reasonably foreseeable" that harassment will occur. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of time no harassment occurs much less sexual assault.

Under the Canada Labour Code, sexual assault is a form of harassment. (Please don't think that harassment is minor or trivial - a sexual assault is harassment, and harassment includes some very serious criminal behaviour.)

It's not about putting crews in hotels where they "may" consume alcohol. It's about the company being complicit in or encouraging staff to socialize, outside of the immediate workplace, at night, in individual's hotel rooms, away from home. The consumption of alcohol only compounds the problem. I think that most people would consider that a situation where sexual harassment is reasonably foreseeable.

There are plenty of online references from law firms with HR expertise that reference employers' responsibilities, if you care to look - I'm not making this stuff up. Meanwhile, if it proves true that several more flight attendants have come forward with allegations of harassment the company has a hard row to hoe to show that whatever it has done, it has done enough.

[Troubleshot]

I have attended (15 or more) work outings as part of "team building events" where 90% of us were hammered by the end of it, men and women. At no point have I tried and grab female co-worker body parts...why? because I'm not a fuckin creep that's why. Most people have a moral compass and don't need to be segregated to ensure social/criminal lines are not crossed.

Most companies would surely fire me if I groped a female co-worker...not tell me I just couldn't come to the events anymore. WestJet is not obligated to make sure sexual assaults do not occur, it is their obligation to make sure all complaints are investigated to their fullest extent and cooperate with law enforcement....not just schedule a guy away from a police force that would like to speak with him and fire anyone else that brings it up.

#EPICFAIL