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Nasty sexual assault lawsuit against Westjet


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Here's the CBC link:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/westjet-class-action-mandy-lewis-1.3520515

Even if this turns out to be a fishing exercise by some employees (former AND current) it does mean the WestJet is certainly past the growing stage, past the fun stage and into the maturing stage. It will be interesting to see how management handles this. 

 

 

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11 hours ago, John S. said:

Here's the CBC link:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/westjet-class-action-mandy-lewis-1.3520515

Even if this turns out to be a fishing exercise by some employees (former AND current) it does mean the WestJet is certainly past the growing stage, past the fun stage and into the maturing stage. It will be interesting to see how management handles this. 

 

 

WestJet has been in the "maturing phase" for almost a decade now.

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On ‎2016‎-‎04‎-‎05 at 11:41 AM, Newman said:

WestJet has been in the "maturing phase" for almost a decade now.

Let's be real Corp culture started with a mild downward shift when Clive stepped down and then started into a rapid decent when SD vacated the CEO role. If you ask any Westjetter that has been around long enough to remember the Clive era they will tell you they are either around because they are waiting for a magic number or there are only so many aviation role in Calgary. Many with transferable skills have already moved on. WS is still a good place to be relative to many other companies but that gap has narrowed.

 

I think others on this posted have already suggested this but I think it is fair to say that this lawsuit along with multiple attempt at unionization as well as so many other things are a by product of a degraded culture. Willing to bet there will be other that will jump on the class action train with legitimate reason but sadly there will be others with marginal reasons that are merely looking to take a shot at WS. For those with legit issues I hope they are able to find what they are looking for. those that are a victim of a culture that they feel let them down, they will only water down the significance of someone with a real beef.  

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Fully agree. I remember during CCAA... "West Jet(er's) were pretty smug about their lot in life. Much noise about mixed fleets, international routes, regional airlines, personnel problems (like this). I think (army of one maybe) that Westjet is the new Canadian.

 

And, before anyone gets uppity, I bet the threads (posts) are still there. Don't be fooled by the posting count, I was stuck on 248 for about 10 years.

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I think Clive knew his little airline was about to grow beyond the regional sized one happy family operation he was capable of managing and stepped aside to allow more competent hands to guide the ship forward into the realm of big business.

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Been around for a while as well during those days and generally don't post much anymore as the same chorus of bitter old men always seem to have the same point of view regardless of topic. 

I haven't seen a Kool Aid joke in a while so that always good for a throw back larf.

My recollection of the posts during the CCAA days were mainly that most Westjet people on here were fairly supportive of those going thru tough times.

Clive is/was more than capable of leading a family sized regional operations as well as "big business". He is a pretty diverse guy with many business holdings and was always very big on succession planning.

The retro insult about his capabilities is the kind of sore loser comment I would expect on here.

Carry on.

 

 

 

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17 hours ago, chockalicious said:

My recollection of the posts during the CCAA days were mainly that most Westjet people on here were fairly supportive of those going thru tough times.

Yes, I remember it that way as well, most Westjetters publicly proclaimed their sympathy for the plight of their fellow airline industry employees at Air Canada.  There were however some who seemed to be rubbing their hands gleefully at the prospect of Westjet experiencing massive growth and replacing Air Canada in short order.  I'm not bitter about this as it's simply human nature and the opposite would certainly have happened if the roles were reversed. 

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Just an fyi Chock; I wasn't suggesting Clive was a failure. I don't know him , but I suspect he's a clever guy that recognized the void left by CDN and gathered a few like minded types to start an airline that obviously grew beyond any of his expectations.

At some point he stepped aside and if it was for the reasons I suggested, that would also make him a wise fellow and deserving of his reward. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

back in the news again:

Quote

WestJet Denies It Allowed Harassment To Exist Within Company

CP    |  By Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press

Posted:  04/20/2016 9:45 pm EDT    Updated:  04/20/2016 11:20 pm EDT

 

VANCOUVER — WestJet is rejecting allegations made by a former flight attendant that it fails to provide a harassment-free workplace for its female employees, saying it would not put its reputation at stake by inadequately dealing with complaints.

The Calgary-based airline's response to a civil claim, filed this week in British Columbia Supreme Court, argues against granting class-action status to a lawsuit launched earlier this month by Mandalena Lewis.

"WestJet denies allowing harassment to exist in its workplace," the court document says. "There are clear financial and reputational incentives for WestJet to provide a harassment-free workplace to all employees."

This is the second lawsuit Lewis has filed against WestJet. Earlier this year she filed a civil claim alleging WestJet failed to take proper action after she reported being sexually assaulted by a pilot while on a stopover in Hawaii.

Mandalena Lewis, a former WestJet flight attendant, is suing the airline, claiming it didn't properly investigate after she was allegedly assaulted by a pilot in 2010.

She has said she began the proposed class action when multiple women approached her with similar complaints after she filed her initial lawsuit.

Behaviours mentioned in the latest notice of claim include sexist jokes, obscene comments, unwelcome physical contact and "midnight knocking," which Lewis defines as a request or demand for late-night sexual favours by pilots while on a stopover.

The claim accused the company of protecting "harassers," often pilots, who are considered more economically valuable employees.

Lewis has said she is unsure how many people could be involved if the lawsuit receives class-action certification. Flight attendants make up about a quarter of the more than 11,000 workers WestJet employs.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

In its response to the latest legal action, the airline argues against class-action approval because it says the circumstances for any given potential plaintiff aren't universal enough to consider them as a group.

WestJet denies allegations that the way it investigates reports of harassment discourages victims from coming forward with complaints and attempts to silence them when they do.

"In fact, the opposite is true," the airline says, rejecting the claim that its approach leads to the under-reporting of harassment.

 

"WestJet's (confidential) investigation process encourages WestJetters to report inappropriate behaviour by allowing them to do so in confidence."

The airline says privacy laws prevent it from disclosing the particulars of an investigation.

WestJet also took aim at Lewis's eight-year work record, highlighting the circumstances that led to her firing in January.

"From the beginning of her employment, Lewis had consistently poor attendance,'' it says, describing the eight instances she was formally disciplined.

The company says it ended Lewis's contract after she sent a manager an email containing a profanity demanding her employment file, which the company was late in providing.

"They can again try and attack my integrity as a flight attendant or my character as a person or my motivations, but I was an excellent flight attendant and I am an excellent person."

 

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"They can again try and attack my integrity as a flight attendant or my character as a person or my motivations, but I was an excellent flight attendant and I am an excellent person."

Her Facebook record alone would seem to counter these contentions, but then again, she has a Right to express her newest opinions even though she does so without regard to the damage she may cause to the Corporation, or the reputation of others. And she can go on making all this noise without risk of ever being held personal responsibility for making disparaging claims.

 

 

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Chockalicious....you're right, the koolaid comment was a cheap and worn out insult....it should have been an Ignite 20 joke....

Quote

There are WestJetters who don't contribute positively to the culture," said WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky at one of the meetings. "We've read the stories on Westnet [WestJet's internal forum], we've seen their comments and we need to bring these people back into the fold. 

"And if we can't bring them back into the fold, we have to make it uncomfortable for them to stay here. They need to find their happiness elsewhere."

That comment was received with loud applause from hundreds of WestJet staff at the meeting

Wow, quite the company culture there....

BTW, I don't remember all the supportive posts during CCAA for AC employees. I remember an executive team from a western airline that was doing everything to stick the knife into AC...trying to steal AC's position at the new Terminal 1 at CYYZ, senior executives using stolen data to crush AC....but if you remember only the nice platitude filled posts...

 

westjet-ignite-20.JPG

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I believe that intentionally making someone uncomfortable in the workplace so they don't want to stay strays very close to constructive dismissal. When a CEO speaks like this they can reasonably anticipate some variation in how their words are taken.  What forms of 'making it uncomfortable to stay here' constitute harassment and workplace poisoning?  

If the quote can be reliably traced to the individual accredited with making it (as opposed to second hand reference), it could sway some support to the complainant.

All just my opinion.

Vs

 

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"And if we can't bring them back into the fold, we have to make it uncomfortable for them to stay here. They need to find their happiness elsewhere."

 

Sounds to me like the CEO is trying to rid the place of those that support unionism with thinly veiled references to culture, happiness and the fold?

Saretsky ought to spend a little time studying AC's extremely costly 20+ year past experience with the employee civil war that plagued the organization following various CEO's attempts to play politics with labour's sentimentalities.

  

 

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Vs, I was thinking along the same lines and wondering if the senior management at WestJet did any public speaking using the language quoted above.

If they did there is a darn good chance that the audio/video is stored on a few iPhones.  

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1 hour ago, Vsplat said:

I believe that intentionally making someone uncomfortable in the workplace so they don't want to stay strays very close to constructive dismissal. When a CEO speaks like this they can reasonably anticipate some variation in how their words are taken.  What forms of 'making it uncomfortable to stay here' constitute harassment and workplace poisoning?  

If the quote can be reliably traced to the individual accredited with making it (as opposed to second hand reference), it could sway some support to the complainant.

All just my opinion.

Vs

 

Your review of Canadian Law is quite good, except instead of constructive dismissal you are articulating what is commonly referred to as the "Wallace Bump". In Wallace v. United Grain Growers (SCOC 1997 decision) the court found the manner in which the employee was let go to be intentionally cruel and as such additional severance was warranted (almost akin to punitive damages). 

 

However in 2008, a second Supreme Court of Canada (SCOC) reversed much of the Wallace's case law. However a CEO making comments such as what Saretsky was quoted as saying in Ignite 20 would lend credence to the first Lewis case.  

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The Saretsky comments are from the linked CBC article. I assume that there would have to have been a video or audio recording for them to attribute those very specific comments to him. Westjet declined to comment...but they didn't deny that he said it, which (If I understand the PR world) means he did say those things.

CBC reports on Westjet's 20 year anniversary

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And the bad press just will not stop:

Man facing fraud charges in WestJet travel credit investigation

 

by Ian Campbell

Posted Apr 22, 2016 3:17 pm MDT

westjet.com
caption-icon.png
 

A WestJet employee is facing fraud charges, following a joint investigation between the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) and WestJet Corporate Security.

Forty-three-year-old Terance Gough is accused of inappropriately issuing over $250 thousand worth of travel credits, which were being bought and sold by a third-party.

Mike Tucker, spokesperson for ALERT, says so far, Gough is the only one charged.

“But, the aspects of just how he was conducting business, and trading and selling these travel credits is still under review,” Tucker said, adding that those who bought credits could also face charges. “Theoretically, if they knew it was stolen, these travel credits that they were acquiring criminal charges certainly could be warranted.”

Gough is facing one count of fraud, and another of theft over $5,000. No WestJet customers were affected.

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On ‎4‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 6:54 AM, anonymous said:

Chockalicious....you're right, the koolaid comment was a cheap and worn out insult....it should have been an Ignite 20 joke....

Wow, quite the company culture there....

BTW, I don't remember all the supportive posts during CCAA for AC employees. I remember an executive team from a western airline that was doing everything to stick the knife into AC...trying to steal AC's position at the new Terminal 1 at CYYZ, senior executives using stolen data to crush AC....but if you remember only the nice platitude filled posts...

 

westjet-ignite-20.JPG

Will he continue to support that philosophy if or when it is determined he does not fit with WestJet's culture? Some  have seen 2 CEO's suffer a fall from good standing with the culture card played at some point.

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On April 30, 2016 at 0:58 AM, Super 80 said:

Does Steve Smith really count?

Saretsky lets his swagger run his mouth, but I don't really perceive a cultural misfit there, where as Durfy was just weird and would be weird anywhere.

I will give the main reason for SS was Clive not willing to admit he was not ready to hand over the keys but more than one member of the leadership team at the time had a conflict with the leadership style.

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