Every year across Canada, thousands of workers elect to join Unifor because they want a voice in their workplace.

Many see other unionized workers making advances or see that their voices are heard, and want the same for themselves. Others worry about the workplace changing and want to ensure the best parts of their workplace remains in place. Others are just sick of dwindling pay and benefits.

At WestJet, we’ve heard all these reasons for signing a Unifor membership card, and more.

As workers in a federally regulated workplace, the rules for you joining a union are set out in the Canada Labour Code (CLC). The rules are strict and must be followed exactly. This is to protect you and to ensure that your rights and wishes are respected throughout the unionization process.

The rules in the CLC require that more than half of all workers in a workplace sign a membership card completely. The CLC also requires that every card signer pay $5 along with the card. This is meant to demonstrate your commitment to the idea of unionization.

Once more than half of WestJet frontline airport and call centre workers have signed a Unifor card, the union applies to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to certify Unifor as your bargaining agent with WestJet. The board will review the cards and the $5 payments, and issue a decision on the application.

This is the same process flight attendants, pilots and dispatchers followed to join their unions.

Once Unifor is declared to be the union for frontline airport and call centre workers at WestJet, work will begin on negotiating your first collective agreement. Getting there, however, can take some time, but Unifor is doing all it can to make the process as simple as possible.

We have trained organizers in every province and region to provide you with a card to fill out and sign, and who can collect the required $5. These organizers also work with some of your co-workers, who can also provide you with a card and collect the $5.

If neither of these options work for you, there is now an online membership card and link to PayPal, where you can pay the $5 through PayPal or with your credit card. The CLC doesn’t allow you to submit a membership card online, and the CIRB will not accept any cards filed online. That means that if you use the online card, you will need to print it and mail it to us (the address is on the site) or hand it to one of our organizers or to a co-worker who is helping out.

We wish you could do everything online, but the law does not yet allow it. Again, this is for your own protection.

If you have any questions, would like to sign a Unifor card or find out how you can help your co-workers sign a card, we would love to hear from you.

All calls are confidential.

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

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