At WestJet, many things have changed as Onex continues with the airline's transformation from the previous "employees as owners" model to the current trajectory that has all decisions solely based on improved profits and efficiencies.
This past year, we have watched loyal WestJetters who helped build the company into the International carrier it is today have their jobs slashed and tendered out to the lowest bidder.
Unifor has been and will continue to raise concerns to WestJetters about the importance of having a collective agreement covering job ownership, the scope of work, and outsourcing language that protects jobs. Through outreach with their membership, the bargaining committee in YVR and YYC have set bargaining priorities that include these measures.
SWOOP launched three new routes from Toronto Pearson Airport to Los Cabos, Mexico, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Kingston, Jamaica this week.
In previous weeks, we raised a similar issue about the risk of further job loss for WestJetters in Edmonton regarding SWOOP expansion of eight new domestic routes.
Seeing more and more flights – and jobs – move down the counter is worrying, and WestJet workers have rightly been concerned about their jobs and the lives they have built for their families.
Whether it's WestJet flights converting to Swoop, or new flight offerings going straight to Swoop, the problem is the same. The company's own low-cost carriers is undercutting WestJet jobs, and the work is shifting to third party ground handlers
Many of these routes were already serviced by WestJet with the support of its current employees. The redistribution of this work will account for job loss for WestJetters as these jobs move down the counter to a third-party ground handling companies performing work at SWOOP.
We encourage workers at YYZ and YEG to take action to protect their jobs by joining with WestJetters in YVR and YYC as members of Unifor. A Unifor collective agreement is the only real protection workers have to defend their jobs.
As WestJet launches its WestJet Christmas Miracle: A Wish Come True. A better narrative would be a good news announcement from the airline that all those employees who have lost their jobs to outsourcing would be offered employment at Westjet as the airline rebounds from the pandemic.
Real people. Real stories. Actual Job loss to WestJetters, who built a company on care and connection, by granting the Christmas wishes that matter most: the jobs they deserve.
The Airports Employee Association (AEA) has shown that they are just not up to the job to protect the jobs of WestJetters from Grinch-like cuts from Onex WestJet
(outsourced jobs to date)
YYZ
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Aviation Airport Services (AAS)
Turn Around Crew (TAC) jobs eliminated and awarded Menzies Aviation
SWOOP Customer Service jobs
YYC
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Samsic
Turn Around Crew (TAC) jobs eliminated and awarded to Airline Terminal Services (ATS)
YEG
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Samsic
SWOOP Customer Service jobs
YVR
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Strategic Aviation
YXY
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Air North
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Air North
YDF, YQX, YQY and YXS
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Allied Aviation
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Allied Aviation
YLW, YQM, YQR, YUL, YWG, YXT, YYG
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
YHM, YKF, YXE and YXU
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Executive Aviation (EA)
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Executive Aviation (EA)
YQG and YQT
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Maintair
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Maintair
YCD, YKA, YQQ, YXX and YYJ
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Menzies
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Menzies
YBR, YFC, YHZ, YMM, YOW, YQB, YQU, YXJ, YYF, YYT and YZF
Customer Service Agents (CSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Strategic Aviation (SA)
Guests Service Ambassador (GSA) jobs eliminated and awarded to Strategic Aviation (SA)
If you haven’t talked to your co-workers at YYZ and YEG, let them know they can sign a Unifor Membership card today. It is time for them to join you at the bargaining table; they can do this at join.unifor.org/federalcard
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