WestJet Encore Pilots to Picket in Calgary

WestJet Encore Airlines pilots will picket at Calgary International Airport on Friday, March 22.

According to a release sent by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the informational picket is a show of solidarity for the Encore pilots, who are days away from taking legal job action or facing a lockout by WestJet management.    

The informational picket will be held from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. local time at departure level door 17, and pilot spokespeople will be available. 

Negotiations between the airline and ALPA, which represents the more than 300 pilots within WestJet’s regional subsidiary, have dragged on for months. The official conciliation period ends on March 26, with a strike looming in April if both parties fail to reach an agreement. 

“On March 22, pilots will stand in solidarity at Calgary International Airport to show WestJet Encore management they remain committed to negotiating a contract that will ensure improved working conditions, wages, and career progression within the WestJet Group,” ALPA said in a release.

Capt. Carin Kenny, WestJet Encore Master Executive Council (MEC) chair, said in a statement to TMR that the goal is to change WestJet Encore to more than simply a “training ground for pilots looking for better opportunities.” 

“When most pilots started working at WestJet Encore, they believed working for our airline was a step towards a long career within the WestJet family. Now we are nothing more than a training ground for pilots looking to leave for better opportunities. We are here to fight for a contract that will change that and make working within the WestJet Group a career goal.”