The pandemic we all hoped would last only a few weeks is now stretching into months. And even as discussion begin on how to reopen the economy, few are expecting a fast turnaround in the airline or travel industry.

At the same time, there has been a significant increase in interest among WestJetters about joining Unifor as the uncertainty continues and your employer’s responses do little to ease the stress.

In order to keep serving your needs and to help you gain a voice in these unprecedented times, Unifor’s Organizing Department is moving more and more online – and WestJet is a big part of that.

To join in the online conversation about Unifor and having a voice in the company, we encourage you to join the Facebook group, Unifor in Teal. Many of your co-workers are already members, many having joined since the pandemic began. We will also be making greater use of the #UniforInTeal hashtag on social media to encourage as much discussion as possible.

On top of all that, Unifor is also launching a new Online Membership Card that allows you to fill in, sign and submit your card completely online. You can also pay your $5 fee, as required under federal labour law, via PayPal. It’s a secure online payment system, and Unifor never gets your credit card information.

This new fully online card replaces our old online pdf card that required you to print the card and mail it in. Like everything during the pandemic, changes are being made about how workers can join unions. A few months ago, we needed you to fill in a mail-in pdf to join Unifor. Today, online cards with online signatures are acceptable.

This rapid change in how you can join a union is part of the many changes we have been seeing throughout our society and workplaces. The pandemic has not only changed our jobs, and left millions off the job, but is has changed all our understanding of work-life balance as families juggle work with homeschooling and caring for older family members.

Navigating this new world will no doubt be difficult. How, or when, things might change is impossible to predict. What is certain, however, is that you need a voice in the workplace now more than ever. Others at WestJet have unions to speak for them. You need one, as well.

To do that, be sure to join the conversation on Facebook, and join Unifor using the new online card. Be sure to forward this email to a friend or invite them to join in the conversations online.

As well, for those still navigating the changing complexities of the Employment Insurance (EI) and Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB), a reminder that materials to help you with this are being updated regularly at unifor.org/westjet. Please share these materials with friends and family who may need them. We are all in this together.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to one of your organizers.

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
Simon Lau, Unifor
[email protected] | 778-928-9630

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