What travellers need to know ahead of a potential WestJet pilot strike
More than 1,000 WestJet pilots throughout Canada are making ready for the picket traces this month as a union claims the staff have been overworked and underpaid, whereas the airline argues they’re being pretty compensated.
The potential strike has 1000’s of travellers on edge amid what has already been a yr of delays and flight cancellations from a number of Canadian airways, together with WestJet.
Complaints to the Canadian Transportation Agency have sky-rocketed just lately, with greater than 42,000 filed within the final yr, practically 2,000 of which concerned WestJet in December alone. Many of the complaints got here after passengers have been denied compensation for cancelled flights as a consequence of a serious snowstorm.
With the specter of a strike looming, president of the non-profit Air Passenger Rights group Gabor Lukacs says the necessity for improved passenger safety guidelines has elevated. He says a labour dispute must be thought-about a scenario inside the airline’s management, prompting questions concerning the strike’s affect and whether or not passengers will likely be compensated within the occasion of cancellations and delays.
“Ultimately, this is really troubling. It’s a wake-up call for Canadians that our system of passenger protection is inadequate,” Lukacs advised CTVNews.ca in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
WHY ARE WESTJET PILOTS THREATENING TO STRIKE?
On Monday, the union representing WestJet pilots, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), stated in a news launch that staff in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto are calling for a pay enhance and noting the airline’s excessive turnover fee.
The union says WestJet has been shedding 30 pilots per 30 days and on common, and {that a} pilot will search completely different employment each 18 hours.
“It is well known that WestJet currently has a pilot attraction and retention problem. Those of us here today are fighting to change that,” ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi stated in a news launch. “Our goal is to secure a contract that will help make this airline a career destination for pilots once again.”
Capt. Bernard Lewall, WestJet ALPA grasp government council chair, just lately advised CTV News Channel that WestJet pilots are among the many “lowest paid in North America, if not the world.”
For its half, WestJet launched an announcement on Monday saying the corporate “acknowledges the importance of our pilots, while at the same time secures WestJet’s financial future and avoids unnecessary disruption for Canadian travellers and communities.”
Additionally, the airline says its 737 pilots are among the many “top Canadian income earners across all professions,” and the wages the ALPA is proposing may affect the airline’s skill to offer “affordable” air journey for Canadians.
ARE AIRLINES PILOTS ALLOWED TO GO ON STRIKE WHEN WOULD IT START?
According to the ALPA, WestJet pilots can go on strike as quickly as May 16, because the union says the pilots are ready to file a 72-hour strike discover on May 13 if negotiations proceed to be stalled.
While it might be an inconvenience to passengers, Lukacs says the 1,800 pilots below the union are effectively inside their constitutional proper to strike in the event that they deem it essential.
“They have every legal right to strike and personally I do support the pilots in their bid to strike,” he stated.
IF MY FLIGHT IS CANCELLED, WILL I GET COMPENSATION?
Tom Oommen, director normal of communications on the Canadian Transportation Agency, says travellers have the appropriate to be re-booked for one more flight, no matter provider, inside 48 hours if their flight is cancelled for causes past the airline’s management.
“If a flight disruption is outside airline control, if the airline is not able to rebook a passenger within 48 hours of the original departure time, the airline must offer a refund to the passenger and this refund has to be paid to the passenger within 30 days,” Oommen advised CTVNews.ca in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
While this rule was just lately launched to the CTA’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations in September 2022, Lukacs says the APPR guidelines are lower than par with different airline passenger safety programs equivalent to these in Europe, the place travellers are entitled to extra compensation or protection for bills like meals and lodge lodging within the occasion of a strike.
The CTA describes staffing points as being thought-about inside an airline’s management, suggesting a passenger is likely to be entitled to some compensation, relying on when a flight is cancelled.
However, it particularly lists “a labour disruption within the carrier or within an essential service provider such as an airport or an air navigation service provider,” as being thought-about outdoors its management, suggesting passengers wouldn’t be compensated.
And when passengers do qualify, it’s restricted to offering help, providing alternate journey preparations or refunds, and as much as $1,000 for inconveniences.
“In Canada you don’t get meals, you don’t get accommodation, you don’t get lump sum,” Lukacs stated, regardless of his perception that this strike could be inside the airline’s management.
Oommen recommends travellers keep updated with the most recent developments of the strike and maintain be aware of the impacts to their journey as they unfold in case they want to submit a grievance.
“If ever a passenger wishes to bring a complaint to the agency, that complaint would be based on the specific facts of the case and it’s important to keep good notes,” Oommen stated.
WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR WESTJET?
Recently, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra proposed laws that may enhance penalties and place the accountability on airways to show why they should not pay travellers compensation for disruptions past their management.
However, each the Air Passenger Rights group and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) say the proposed modification will solely create extra loopholes for airways and would not assist shield passenger rights.
“They’re creating a major loophole where the airlines can avoid compensation if they just sign in compliance agreements,” Lukacs stated.
Both advocacy teams are calling for Canadians to assist Bill C-327, which units out to extend monetary compensation for passengers experiencing delays, cancelled flights or denial of boarding not attributable to “extraordinary circumstances.”
Lukacs stated within the occasion of cancelled flights adopted by a strike, it might come as no shock if WestJet is hit with a class-action lawsuit in the event that they refuse to compensate travellers.
“They could refuse to pay until they are being ordered to pay or being forced to pay, but will they be able to get away with it? I highly doubt it. It could even be grounds for class action and I would expect that in that case, there’s sufficient grounds to very heavily crack down on WestJet,” he stated.
