One of the most difficult issues to deal with in any workplace is when a worker is facing some form of discipline from the employer.

However deserved or not deserved, any such incident is stressful for all involved, and can cause stresses to ripple across the workplace. This is not good for anyone.

Certainly, the employer has the right to ensure that all workers do their jobs effectively and safely and to take disciplinary measures when that is not the case. We all have a responsibility to support the success of our employer’s operation after all their success is our success.

At the same time, workers have a right to feel safe in their jobs, and to feel safe from arbitrary discipline from the employer. Nothing undermines a good work environment faster than workers feeling insecure in their positions. In jobs that interact directly with the customers, this can be damaging to the company and weaken its brand in the long run.

You are the face of WestJet. It is in WestJet’s best interest that you present a face that is happy and secure.

That’s why Unifor workplaces negotiate a process for progressive discipline for its members when things go wrong. Progressive discipline processes typically involve warnings and other intermediate measures before the ultimate act of terminating a worker’s employment.

Without a union, there is no way to enforce the principle of progressive discipline, and workers are left vulnerable to arbitrary decisions by the employer. The AEA has shown that it will not stand up for a terminated employee. Only a union will do that.
This is not to say that the employer cannot terminate a worker for the most egregious of offenses, but does require that the employer sit down with the union whenever discipline measures are being taken.

This in turn helps all workers better understand the rules of the workplace, and how they can do their jobs more effectively - and that results in a better workplace and a stronger brand for the company.

If you have any questions, or to sign a Unifor card, please reach out to one of your organizers.

Ontario
Billy O'Neill, Unifor
[email protected] | 416-605-1443

Quebec
Ada Zampini, Unifor
[email protected] | 514-701-6227

Prairies
Bruce Fafard, Unifor
[email protected] | 587-341-0945

British Columbia
Murray Gore, Unifor
[email protected] | 604-671-9141

Atlantic
Patrick Murray, Unifor
[email protected] | 506-850-7996