blues deville Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/westjet-pilots-vote-due-friday-1.4110517 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagger Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 62 Pct to join ALPA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 And now it begins, I wonder if the other "non union" groups will follow the leader? WestJet statement regarding outcome of pilot unionization vote CALGARY, May 12, 2017 /CNW/ - WestJet today issued the following statement from President and CEO Gregg Saretsky regarding the outcome of the unionization vote among its pilots. "We are disappointed with the outcome of the vote but we are dedicated to moving forward as a team. We will now focus on engaging in constructive dialogue with ALPA and concentrate on the continued success of the organization for guests, employees and shareholders." http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/westjet-statement-regarding-outcome-of-pilot-unionization-vote-622113393.html WestJet Pilots Vote to Join ALPA OTTAWA, May 12, 2017 /CNW/ - The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) announced today that the more than 1,400 pilots at WestJet voted for representation by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA). With 97 percent of eligible pilots participating in the election, 62 percent voted in favour of joining the world's largest pilot union, sending a strong message that WestJet pilots recognize the importance of world-class representation and a collective agreement under Part 1 of the Canada Labour Code. "WestJet pilots told us that it's time for a certified union, and the Organizing Committee worked hard to build unity within their group," said ALPA president, Capt. Tim Canoll. "With ALPA representation, pilot unity plays an integral role in supporting the process of negotiating a legally binding collective agreement." The CIRB will now approve the election results. Once the Board issues the certification order, ALPA will become the exclusive bargaining agent for the WestJet pilots. The Board normally issues a certification order within one to two weeks. Today's vote was the result of a focused campaign that began when WestJet pilots approached ALPA about representation options. In December 2016, Capt. Canoll joined a group of WestJet pilots in announcing the membership card collection process in Calgary. On April 20, WestJet pilots submitted a strong number of membership cards to the CIRB, triggering the representation election. "Pilots spend a lifetime at an airline," said Capt. Rob McFadyen, a member of the WestJet ALPA Organizing Committee. "We as WestJet pilots need the best possible support for ourselves and our families—health, retirement, fatigue, safety, family support, legal protection, and more—and today, we pledged that ALPA will help our pilot group provide that support moving forward." The focus for WestJet pilots now shifts to the ALPA membership drive and establishing pilot representatives in each base (Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver), which lays the foundation needed to build the WestJet Master Executive Council and start negotiating their first collective agreement. "We look forward to putting ALPA's vast resources to work to help the WestJet pilots reach their first contract," said Capt. Dan Adamus, president of ALPA Canada. "From aeromedical advisors and insurance benefits to our world-class safety structure, we welcome WestJet pilots and look forward to building a solid working relationship with the WestJet management team." Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world's largest pilot union, representing more than 55,000 pilots at 32 airlines in the United States and Canada, including Air Georgian, Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, Canadian North, First Air, Jazz Aviation, Kelowna Flightcraft, and Wasaya. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA. SOURCE Air Line Pilots Association, Intl Pilots with the only non-unionized airline in Canada have been behind various union drives By Tracy Johnson, CBC News Posted: May 11, 2017 6:28 PM ET Last Updated: May 12, 2017 2:23 PM ET WestJet, based in Calgary, is the only major non-union airline in Canada. But pilots voted Friday in favour of a union. (Darryl WestJet's pilots have voted 61.5 per cent in favour of forming a union, in the second certification vote in less than two years. In results released Friday, a total of 851 pilots voted yes to unionization, under the umbrella of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), while 531 voted against it. WestJet is the only major non-union airline in Canada. Since 2014, pilots and flight attendants have been behind various union drives, with none successful. WestJet has argued against unionization, saying it would harm the unique culture of the airline and its financial position, but many employees decided on independent representation in a company and industry that are rapidly changing. Much has changed at WestJet since the last vote by pilots in August 2015, when 55 per cent were against certification. The airline launched long-haul flights to Europe and, more recently, announced plans for an ultra-low-cost carrier that will offer no-frills flying. The airline is also adding Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its fleet for more overseas flights that travel even farther around the globe. Why pilots voted again so soon "I see that those changes in the business and how they're being communicated and how they're being managed as certainly one of the factors why the union would have an opportunity to go back to the pilots and say, 'Maybe you want to reconsider the decision you made a couple of years ago,'" said George Smith, a labour expert at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., and a former director of employee relations at Air Canada. The latest union drive was organized by the ALPA, a U.S.-based union representing pilots at airlines such as Delta in the U.S., and Air Transat and Jazz in Canada. The ALPA took over after the in-house union drive failed in 2015. After laying groundwork for more than a year, it formally launched a drive in December 2016, with more than 100 WestJet pilots forming the organization committee. Judging from the ALPA's WestJet webpage, scheduling is top of mind for pilots. They bid for shifts, as do pilots at all major airlines. However, the shifts WestJet pilots get each month aren't based on seniority — they're based on a socialized bidding system in which new pilots have as good a chance to get a certain shift as the most senior pilots. The industry norm is seniority-based bidding, which gives the most senior pilots some certainly as to what they will fly each month, and newer pilots take the leftovers. Scheduling is important because of the relentless nature of aviation. Airlines unpredictable workplaces "The world of airlines in not normal in terms of a 40-hour work week," said Smith. "The best of days it's still unpredictable, but then you throw in snowstorms and hurricanes and in some cases volcanoes, all these things impact flights, which then reverberate through the system. It's a very uncertain work environment." Unsurprisingly, WestJet has pushed back against the most recent drive. In a letter to pilots sent on May 5, the day voting began, WestJet's chief executive Gregg Saretsky said the airline's expansion was indeed good for pilots. "All of this is good news for WestJetters, providing more jobs and greater career opportunities while securing our future and becoming a global airline," he wrote, while criticizing the ALPA's representation at Alaska Airlines and the former Canadian Airlines. WestJet has yet to comment on the successful vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagger Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 I'll be more interested to see how ALPA's second contract negotiation with Westjet goes. The first is likely to be cautious. It has to consolidate the ranks and won't get that if it pushes too far too fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 10 minutes ago, dagger said: I'll be more interested to see how ALPA's second contract negotiation with Westjet goes. The first is likely to be cautious. It has to consolidate the ranks and won't get that if it pushes too far too fast. The threat from management is that joining ALPA will force them (the company) to take away all existing benefits and negotiate everything from scratch. They (the company) said that a first union contract will be much less lucrative for the pilots than the current deal. I'm not a WS pilot so obviously these things weren't said to me directly. They are just things I've surmised from discussions and other things I've read. Any company will want to set the bar as low as they reasonably can knowing that things tend to ratchet upward over time and labour considerations will factor in but I wonder how much of a "statement" the company will try to make as they negotiate the first contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outside Looking In Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Anyone Remember this Quote?? What's next for GS? http://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/westjet-ceo-saretsky-will-go-down-fighting-to-prevent-unionization WestJet CEO Saretsky will 'go down fighting' to prevent unionization Amanda Stephenson, Calgary HeraldMore from Amanda Stephenson, Calgary Herald Published on: December 22, 2016 | Last Updated: December 22, 2016 5:42 PM MDT WestJet President and CEO, Gregg Saretsky Mike Drew / Mike Drew/Calgary Sun ShareAdjustCommentPrint After soundly rejecting the company’s initial offer, WestJet pilots are voting on a new contract the airline hopes will pave the way for the expansion of its wide-body fleet and help stave off the looming threat of unionization. In an interview, WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky said voting is set to close Friday on the new tentative agreement. The company has said it needs a new deal with its pilots before it can expand its wide-body fleet and start doing more long-haul international flights. However, the company’s first attempt at a contract offer was rejected in November by 80 per cent of pilots who voted. “I’m hoping we’ll have a new Christmas present on the 23rd,” Saretsky said. “A brand-new, five-year deal with our pilots that goes till 2022.” The latest round of pilot negotiations at WestJet takes place against the backdrop of an ongoing unionization campaign. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the largest pilot union in the world, has been asking pilots at the famously non-union WestJet to sign membership cards, a continuation of the work started by an internal group in 2015. At that time, 55 per cent of WestJet’s pilots said no to unionization in a vote, but ALPA — which represents major carriers such as Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Air Lines — brings significantly greater resources and experience to the campaign. A simultaneous unionization drive led by an internal group and targeting WestJet flight attendants is also underway. Saretsky said as the largest non-union company in Canada, WestJet represents a “big target” to organizations like ALPA. But he said he remains convinced unionization would harm the relationship the airline currently has with its employees, creating a system of “middle men” and “bureaucracy” that would get in the way of direct conversations between management and staff. “This isn’t the first drive, it won’t be the last drive. At some point, will they be successful? They might, but I’m going to go down fighting to prevent the unionization of WestJet,” Saretsky said. Related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blues deville Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 Saretsky: "We are disappointed with the outcome of the vote but we are dedicated to moving forward as a team". Kind of an odd statement. Had to be a reason for 62% of their pilot group voting in favour of joining ALPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEFCON Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Did anyone notice that there's a real shortage of 'qualified' applicants? That reality is going flavour negotiations and will almost certainly lead to a great first CA. Losing your pilots to other carriers today to satisfy a vindictive management urge won't serve the corporate interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blues deville Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 2 hours ago, DEFCON said: Did anyone notice that there's a real shortage of 'qualified' applicants? Has this happened at WS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
internet Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 As long as both sides don't get too greedy or stupid, the relationship can work fine and really there shouldn't be too much change. If it quickly becomes advisarial by either or both sides, could get really messy. Good luck to both parties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTFA Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 All that this means is that the banner over the pilots bargaining teams side of the table will say ALPA. It will be the same people, (WJ pilots) facing WJ management teams. This is not war this is a changing of team colours. Why would either group wish to do anything other than continue to work towards making their company a success. ALPA does not have a gorilla behind the door, nor do they have any special powers of potions that will influence their counterparts in management. What ALPA has is the resources, experience and devotion to guide the pilots of WJ in whatever direction they wish. There will still be disgruntled members and there will still be backroom politics between subgroups of the pilot ranks. There will still be leadership battles over emotional issues and there will also continue to be disagreements and challenges by the (their) company that will create anger and frustration towards the pilots from across the employee groups. This is not necessarily a drastic turning point unless someone is intent on "cutting off their nose to spite their face". This could be the best thing that will ever happen to the relationship between pilots and WJ as long as everyone keeps their cool and remains respectful and openminded. Congratulations to both the pilots of WestJet and to ALPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Agreed on all counts. I never understood why, with all they did to borrow from the business model of Southwest, the WestJet founders were so adamant against organized employee groups. It was something Mr. Kelleher wanted from the get-go with his airline and for the vast majority of their time in existence, Southwest has fostered a healthy and cooperative union / company relationship with all bargaining groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 where are the encore Pilots in this? Could the new Widebodies go to them? ..???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 2 hours ago, Malcolm said: where are the encore Pilots in this? Could the new Widebodies go to them? ..???????? No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 9 hours ago, Maverick said: No Since the new agreement is presently a blank page, isn't anything possible re who operates which aircraft etc. Are the pilots at Encore also represented by ALPA or are they a separate group covered inhouse ? If they are covered by ALPA then they would not be given the larger aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boney Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Separate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Thanks Boney. Re the new wide bodies are they already covered by some sort of binding agreement re who will fly them or is this subject to negotiation? The next few months will be interesting times for those at WestJet and Encore but let us hope all works out well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEFCON Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 There's no organization out there that can remotely compare to the ALPA when it comes to the provision of resources that are useful and often exclusive to pilots, but there is a dark side; the politics of the organization are often flavoured by the rivalries that exist between silos and that can become problematic from time to time. Overall though, this is definitely a move in the right direction for the pilots of WJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boney Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Malcom, the WB is covered by the current contract for mainline. The big question is the one list, where Encore pilots that flow to mainline can carry their original DOH. ALPA's position, when reviewing their other shops, not going to happen. We may have thrown them under the bus. I hope not, but...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 27 minutes ago, Boney said: Malcom, the WB is covered by the current contract for mainline. The big question is the one list, where Encore pilots that flow to mainline can carry their original DOH. ALPA's position, when reviewing their other shops, not going to happen. We may have thrown them under the bus. I hope not, but...... Is the "current Contract for mainline" a legal binding contract? In other words does it carry over to the new union or is it subject to negotiation as to what is placed into the first Union Contract? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadaEH Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 I respect the right of anyone to choose who represents them. If unionizing is the wish of the many than cool - I hope it works out for the pilot group. What I don't want to see is the representation change affect the remaining employees. Boney's comment "we may have to throw them under the bus" is a disappointing start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 38 minutes ago, CanadaEH said: I respect the right of anyone to choose who represents them. If unionizing is the wish of the many than cool - I hope it works out for the pilot group. What I don't want to see is the representation change affect the remaining employees. Boney's comment "we may have to throw them under the bus" is a disappointing start. You are misquoting Boney, what he really said was: T Quote he big question is the one list, where Encore pilots that flow to mainline can carry their original DOH. ALPA's position, when reviewing their other shops, not going to happen. We may have thrown them under the bus. I hope not, but...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boney Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 The contract is frozen for 30 days after the CIRB confirms it. The contract then opens up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boney Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Sorry, I'm in between sites. What I should have said, I hope we didn't throw them under the bus. cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 80 Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 4 hours ago, Boney said: Malcom, the WB is covered by the current contract for mainline. The big question is the one list, where Encore pilots that flow to mainline can carry their original DOH. ALPA's position, when reviewing their other shops, not going to happen. We may have thrown them under the bus. I hope not, but...... Didn't WS send some DHC-8 rated mainline pilots to Encore at startup? If they're still there what becomes of them? Does ALPA recognize secondments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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