Is WestJet an essential service, where the government can mandate striking pilots back to work?

[CanadaAir]

The government can mandate airline pilots back to work if they're considered essential.

Today, there are many airlines which passengers can travel covering WestJet’s routes.
There are 2 or more airlines other than WestJet at all WestJet mainline and Swoop destinations.

Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, WestJet Encore, Pacific Coastal, Sunwing, Flair, Lnyx, Transat, Porter
Many US & international airlines fly on WestJet's international routes.

WestJet can access airlines that charter their 737 like Canadian North, Air North, Air Inuit, Nolinor

There are others which charter regional like Calm Air, Central Mountain, North Caribou, Pivot

Many companies which do corporate flying are other options.

In addition to air travel, there's well organized rail travel between Toronto and Montreal. Bus and ferry networks in BC and the east.

Is WestJet an essential service, where the government can mandate striking pilots back to work?

Other factors
Its difficult for a liberal minority government to mandate back to work compared to having a majority government.

If 150,000 government workers are not called essential, then how can 1800 pilots be called essential?

If 150,000 government workers are allowed to strike, why would pilots not be?

Compared to 2018, most businesses are now able to use online or remote work reducing required travel.
When air travel dropped in the past 3 years, it didn't cause a collapse of the Canadian economy. A excuse previously used to mandate pilots back.

[Dias]

No offense to WestJet but who would possibly think that? It's hardly a charter right for a citizen to fly from Calgary to Edmonton (or wherever WestJet flies these days).

[CanadaAir]

No offense to WestJet but who would possibly think that? It's hardly a charter right for a citizen to fly from Calgary to Edmonton (or wherever WestJet flies these days).

WestJet CEO uses it often

What stood out to me when I moved here, was Canada’s complex aviation landscape. Canada’s geographical footprint, lack of passenger rail and landlocked communities make air travel an essential service. Canadians need airlines more than most other countries in the world. For thousands of communities across Canada, airlines are the only reasonable means of transportation.
Despite the essential nature, there is an exorbitant fee burden required to support the unique landscape.

https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/news/2023 ... jet-group-

“It is an honour to celebrate this accomplishment amongst key partners and stakeholders, each of whom played an integral role in making today happen. The take-off of our dedicated freighters is a significant moment for Canada and the communities we serve, as we strengthen our ability to expand upon the essential products we carry across and beyond the country,” continued de Bruijn.

“Air cargo is a truly essential link in Canada’s supply chain.
https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/news/2023 ... cludes-wit


Expect WestJet try to convince federal government of essential service and requirement for back to work.

MP vote to force pilots back to work.
Pilots who don't want this should start setting up meetings with their MPs to convince them not to vote for back to work.
ALPA could be meeting with the political parties in advance of any strike.

[Dias]

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[CanadaAir]

tweet.JPG

WestJet pilots are professionals. There won't be blocking of bridges or roads, or acting like angry protesters.

Its no value to trash the profession by wearing costumes or shouting at people.
Pilots won't be harassing passengers or catsa workers or other airline crews, most are already supporting.

Wear your uniform like a professional and act like one.
ALPA supplies the signs.

[accountant]

tweet.JPG

WestJet pilots are professionals. There won't be blocking of bridges or roads, or acting like angry protesters.

Its no value to trash the profession by wearing costumes or shouting at people.
Pilots won't be harassing passengers or catsa workers or other airline crews, most are already supporting.

Wear your uniform like a professional and act like one.
ALPA supplies the signs.

LOL, yeah same professional WS pilots caught on tape laughing that they intentionally delayed boarding of a flight over Christmas so they could time-out.... yeah super professional.

GOod job grinches! Entitlement to the max.

Might as well line up with costumes and blockade, you're going to get Kaplan'd.

[Dias]

tweet.JPG

WestJet pilots are professionals. There won't be blocking of bridges or roads, or acting like angry protesters.

Its no value to trash the profession by wearing costumes or shouting at people.
Pilots won't be harassing passengers or catsa workers or other airline crews, most are already supporting.

Wear your uniform like a professional and act like one.
ALPA supplies the signs.

Of course they are. I posted that as an example of an actual essential service being blocked by a striking workforce and the government allowing it.

[CanadaAir]

tweet.JPG

WestJet pilots are professionals. There won't be blocking of bridges or roads, or acting like angry protesters.

Its no value to trash the profession by wearing costumes or shouting at people.
Pilots won't be harassing passengers or catsa workers or other airline crews, most are already supporting.

Wear your uniform like a professional and act like one.
ALPA supplies the signs.

Of course they are. I posted that as an example of an actual essential service being blocked by a striking workforce and the government allowing it.

Valid point. The PSAC is blocking essential service without any repercussions and government is allowing it.
So the government shutting down a more respectable and non blockading strike by WestJet pilots would be a double standard compared to what's going on with PSAC.

[rando]

tweet.JPG

WestJet pilots are professionals. There won't be blocking of bridges or roads, or acting like angry protesters.

Its no value to trash the profession by wearing costumes or shouting at people.
Pilots won't be harassing passengers or catsa workers or other airline crews, most are already supporting.

Wear your uniform like a professional and act like one.
ALPA supplies the signs.

The difference is when a westjet pilot stops working everyone notices.

When a federal worker stops “working” nothing changes. They have no choice but to make a scene somewhere to get noticed. “Hey look at me I’m on strike… duh! Didn’t you notice I didn’t diddle my thumbs at home for 8 hours today?!?”

Know your worth. Pilots, AMEs etc due for gains! People will notice how valuable you are.

[doiwannabeapilot]

WestJet pilots are professionals. There won't be blocking of bridges or roads, or acting like angry protesters.

Its no value to trash the profession by wearing costumes or shouting at people.
Pilots won't be harassing passengers or catsa workers or other airline crews, most are already supporting.

Wear your uniform like a professional and act like one.
ALPA supplies the signs.

Of course they are. I posted that as an example of an actual essential service being blocked by a striking workforce and the government allowing it.

Valid point. The PSAC is blocking essential service without any repercussions and government is allowing it.
So the government shutting down a more respectable and non blockading strike by WestJet pilots would be a double standard compared to what's going on with PSAC.

....would be a double standard by the government.........that doesn't bode well !

[khedrei]

Of course they are. I posted that as an example of an actual essential service being blocked by a striking workforce and the government allowing it.

Valid point. The PSAC is blocking essential service without any repercussions and government is allowing it.
So the government shutting down a more respectable and non blockading strike by WestJet pilots would be a double standard compared to what's going on with PSAC.

....would be a double standard by the government.........that doesn't bode well !

I would agree, but this government is a living, breathing, walking double standard.

[CanadaAir]

If the federal government does a double standard, it would look bad on them.

The NDP is supposed to support unions, so unlikely they support a vote on back to work.

Although the Liberal party has previously forced pilots back to work within a day, the Liberals don’t have the majority of seats & can’t force through a vote.

The Liberal party would need to partner with the Conservative Party to force pilots back to work.

Many Conservative party members live in Alberta and Calgary. Convenient for many WestJet pilots

All WestJet pilots should make appointments with their MPs and stop by their offices to convince them why the Conservative party shouldn’t vote the pilots back to work.

ALPA has a role to play in this.

The messages to your MPs should be consistent.

Let them know

• That WestJet pilots are professionals, most joining the company with 10 or more years of experience in aviation.
  That WestJet has an accident free record over 30 years thanks to the professionalism of the pilots and maintenance staff.
  That WestJet is now hosting interviews and hiring events for pilots with 750 hours, less than a year of experience as a way to undercut salaries and not pay the wages required to retain type experienced professional pilots. Without considering the decrease in safety to flight, and without any program to safely train low time pilots.
  That WestJet was a company built on teamwork and a positive corporate culture which has been destroyed since Onex took over.
  That Onex has broken up the company, and outsourced thousands of workers who were once internally employed.
  That Onex has tried to outsource the pilot jobs, starting Swoop and trying to pay lower wages to pilots for the same work on the same aircraft. Let them know that Onex is trying to do the same with Sunwing.
  Let them know that Onex has billions, and enough money to buy Sunwing. Then states it doesn’t have money for investing in maintaining safety and retaining professional pilots and maintenance staff at WestJet.
  That the pilots were forced to unionize to prevent the company from falling apart.
  That WestJet pilots are now some of the lowest paid in North America, starting at $60,000. Less than most other skilled workers.
  That it’s no longer a career destination.
  That many WestJet pilots are leaving 240 left last year. Some leaving for the US.
  That Porter is paying 3 times more for experienced pilots.
  That Medevac is paying $150,000 to $200,000 to fly 10 seat aircraft, which is more than most WestJet captains are making on a 150 seat 737.
  That wages have been suppressed since 2001, and a large correction is needed.
  That without professional pilots WestJet will collapse and it will be a major hit to the Alberta and Canadian economy.

Its more than standing around with a sign, pilots have to be able to convince MPs why they shouldn't be forced back to work.

If you see an MP on a flight or at the airport, you can talk to them.

You don't have to be a WestJet pilot to contact your MP. Air Canada, Jazz, Encore and other pilots can also talk to their MP in support.
Even student pilots can send an email to ask that their MP allow WestJet pilots to negotiate and not be forced back to work.

[CanadaAir]

CEO's recent comments

“Pilots dream about U.S. wages. The union keeps on repeating that all they want is a standard North American contract,” the CEO said.

“But the U.S. is a totally different market on the aviation side,” he continued. “If you want the wages of another country, then you move to this other country and then live with everything it comes with.”

“Recruitment is actually running pretty well,” he said in a phone interview from Calgary last Thursday, referring to pilots. “But what we are seeing is high attrition. That’s certainly an impact of the current situation.”

[CanadaAir]

Onex buys WestJet, Encore & Sunwing
Can't find money to retain its experienced crew.

..png (352.31 KiB) Viewed 3056 times

Yet a float company can find a way to pay its Beaver captain more than regional jet captains & 10 year WestJet first officers.

[fish4life]

Onex buys WestJet, Encore & Sunwing
Can't find money to retain its experienced crew.


..png


Yet a float company can find a way to pay its Beaver captain more than regional jet captains & 10 year WestJet first officers.

Not saying they can’t afford to pay more but managing assets is not the same as having assets / having liquidity with those assets.
It’s like saying a dealership manager has XX million in assets that they manage.

[accountant]

Onex buys WestJet, Encore & Sunwing
Can't find money to retain its experienced crew.


..png


Yet a float company can find a way to pay its Beaver captain more than regional jet captains & 10 year WestJet first officers.

Not saying they can’t afford to pay more but managing assets is not the same as having assets / having liquidity with those assets.
It’s like saying a dealership manager has XX million in assets that they manage.

Shhh, you're sounding smart here like an accountant. Might be too much for pilots to understand.

[Crewbunk]

Might be too much for pilots to understand.

Pilots are smart enough that if Westjet is paying A and other airlines are paying A x 1.4, they know where to go.

Hopefully the accountants are smart enough to find a way to match A x 1.4, or Westjet may as well shut down. With a bunch of ineffectual accountants sitting around wide eyed with their mouths agape wondering what happened.

[bobcaygeon]

Might be too much for pilots to understand.

Pilots are smart enough that if Westjet is paying A and other airlines are paying A x 1.4, they know where to go.

Hopefully the accountants are smart enough to find a way to match A x 1.4, or Westjet may as well shut down. With a bunch of ineffectual accountants sitting around wide eyed with their mouths agape wondering what happened.

Are the pilots actually leaving WJ for the AC money or the much quicker upgrade times? AC's 2% annual COLA increase for the last 7 years isn't exactly "rich".

[rudder]

Might be too much for pilots to understand.

Pilots are smart enough that if Westjet is paying A and other airlines are paying A x 1.4, they know where to go.

Hopefully the accountants are smart enough to find a way to match A x 1.4, or Westjet may as well shut down. With a bunch of ineffectual accountants sitting around wide eyed with their mouths agape wondering what happened.

Are the pilots actually leaving WJ for the AC money or the much quicker upgrade times? AC's 2% annual COLA increase for the last 7 years isn't exactly "rich".

If you are looking forwards and not backwards, there is a more lucrative career to be had at AC than WJ. And less uncertainty.

AC is not out acquiring a ‘portfolio’ of carriers to compete for work.

[thepoors]

CEO's recent comments

“Recruitment is actually running pretty well,” he said in a phone interview from Calgary last Thursday, referring to pilots. “But what we are seeing is high attrition. That’s certainly an impact of the current situation.”

Lol haven't they cancelled basically all course dates? I heard the last one had 5 hires..

Or are they now recruiting instructors with <1500hrs at mainline?