WestJet pilots could strike next week; imminent walkout would be ‘premature’ | 24CA News
Talks between WestJet pilots and their employer dragged on Friday because the union warned a walkout may come as early as subsequent week, leaving passengers’ journey plans up within the air.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents some 1,600 flight crew at WestJet and subsidiary Swoop, mentioned it’s poised to file a 72-hour strike discover — however not on the earliest alternative at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
“I’m fairly certain that I won’t be putting the strike notice in tonight,” mentioned Bernard Lewall, who heads the union’s WestJet contingent, in a telephone interview from outdoors the negotiating room at a venue in Richmond Hill, Ont.
“It’d be I feel just a little untimely.
“Negotiations have been going OK,” he added. “There’s still quite a distance between the proposals, but we’re both still coming to the table.”
The employees’ points revolve round job safety, pay and scheduling, with some 340 pilots leaving the service over the previous yr and a half — largely to different airways — Lewall mentioned.
WestJet says there have been thrice extra pilot hires than resignations at its mainline operation this yr.
In a press release this week, the Calgary-based airline mentioned its pilots are among the many finest paid in Canada, however {that a} contract on par with these not too long ago secured by some U.S. pilot teams could be financially unworkable and put the corporate’s future in danger.
“ALPA’s expectations of wages, if realized, would pose a significant impact to WestJet’s ability to remain competitive and provide affordable air travel to Canadians,” the corporate mentioned.
Labour shortages proceed to plague the aviation business, with a dearth of employees in areas starting from air site visitors management to floor dealing with because the sector begins to take off once more after the pandemic collapse and journey turmoil over the previous yr.
In March, Delta Air Lines pilots secured a deal that features a 34 per cent pay hike over 4 years.
The Air Canada Pilots Association is aiming for large positive aspects too. In a letter to members Thursday, the union mentioned employees should resolve by May 29 whether or not to stay with their 10-year collective settlement inked in 2014 or decide to begin full negotiations forward of time this yr.
“Pilots at Air Canada are working at a steep discount compared to our North American competitors,” the letter states, calling for “historic” positive aspects within the subsequent deal.
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