The airline industry's uncertainty mounts each week with further job layoff and reductions in routes at Canada's major airlines. These are troubling times for the thousands of workers who depend on strong demand for passenger air travel to maintain their employment and provide for their families.
Many airline workers find relief knowing they have strong recall and lay off provision language in their collective agreements to ensure they return to their jobs at the same pay rate when air travel rebounds and Canadians return to the skies.
Unfortunately, there have been many WestJetters who will not face this same fortune. Brad Cherrington, chair of the Airports Employee Association (AEA) at WestJet in his latest correspondence referenced saying "goodbye to more of our colleagues as they transition out of the business". It would seem that these workers decided to leave their jobs willingly instead of being fired to someone without the facts. The AEA supports Onex WestJet's outsourcing scheme instead of lobbying on behalf of the workers they let down.
Robert Antoniuk Vice President of Airports at WestJet communicates about "tearful goodbyes with our teams in Victoria, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg" and then continues in his article to welcome the new service providers. Early reports suggest these ground handling companies will pay workers $10 less per hour with little to no benefits.
The situation is heartbreaking for loyal WestJetters who built this company from the ground up with years of dedication.
Things could have been different with a negotiated collective agreement. WestJet workers in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver have been active in reaching out to Unifor to inquire about the union advantage.
They understand that a collective agreement can provide clear language covering recall rights at their current work location, bumping rights to other bases and a relocation payment if the workers choose to transfer. They are happy to hear that it is common for Unifor collective agreements to have language prohibiting contracting out of jobs.
With a union, you are not alone when your employer tries to change your employment terms and conditions. As part of a union, you have a real voice in the workplace.
With a union, our members at Air Canada were able to negotiate extra mitigation to reduce job cuts. They successfully negotiated three voluntary programs with the employer to offset as many involuntary workforce reductions as possible. 1) Vacation Purchase Program (VPP) 2) Job Sharing 3) Reduced Work Week.
It's time for real representation fighting to protect good airline jobs. It's time to join Unifor to ensure that your interests are represented. Even those who are safe today and survive these cuts face risks in the future as the pandemic's impact continues to play out if they do not have a collective agreement protecting their rights.
If you have any questions or would like to sign a Unifor card or help your co-workers sign a card, 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
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