WestJet Encore Pilot Leaders Approve Agreement in Principle

WestJet Encore and the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) have voted to approve an agreement in principle.

ALPA, which represents the 355 pilots working for the airline subsidiary, released a statement today announcing that both WestJet Encore pilot leaders and WestJet management had voted to approve an agreement in principle. Discussions are ongoing to finalize contract language for the full tentative agreement.

Last week, the WestJet Encore pilots voted 97% in favor of strike action, following seven months of contract negotiations between the union and WestJet Group. Unless a deal is reached, the pilots could go on strike as early as April 17, which could lead to flight delays and cancelations.

“Flight disruptions are never an ideal outcome for any pilot or their passengers; that’s why the primary goal of the pilots has always been to reach an agreement and not go on strike,” ALPA said in the release.

The pilot group will continue to make its negotiators available until a tentative agreement is reached.

“After several consecutive days of late-stage negotiating, progress was made on a number of key issues including compensation and scheduling,” said Capt. Carin Kenny, chair of the WestJet Encore ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC).

The main issues throughout negotiations have been pay and career opportunities within WestJet Group.  According to Kenny, its workers are the lowest-paid regional pilots in Canada, driving some to seek jobs elsewhere.

“Throughout the negotiating process, management’s refusal to grasp the current labour market conditions in Canada’s aviation sector resulted in a mass exodus of pilots in search of better work opportunities,” said Kenny. “It is significant that management now recognizes a contract without the required economic and scheduling improvements would result in a continuation of the current pilot attraction and retention crisis at the airline.”