WestJet workers continue to see their jobs move down the counter as the company attempts to tap new markets with an ultra-low-cost carrier, Swoop.

Just this week, news came that WestJet is expanding its Swoop offerings even further. Swoop will fly new routes from London, Ont., to Halifax six times a week, plus daily London flights to Edmonton and Abbotsford. Flights between Kelowna and Winnipeg, and between Edmonton and Oakland, will be offered three times a week.

Seeing more and more flights – and jobs – move down the counter is worrying, and WestJet workers have rightly been concerned about what such moves mean for 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. WestJet jobs are being undercut by the company’s own low-cost flyer.

We’ve seen this before. Airlines shifting flights to low-cost alternatives is nothing new. It is happening with companies around the world as airlines look for ways to boost profits.

There’s no reason workers must pay the price for those profits, however.

Under Unifor collective agreements with other carriers, our members continue to do the work if their employer sets up a low-cost carrier. Language in their negotiated collective agreements means that the work cannot be contracted out to a low-cost carrier. This means that when a flight shifts to a low-cost carrier, the job goes with it, with no change in compensation.

This gives Unifor members greater security for the future, for themselves and their families.

Only you can stop your job going down the counter. Only you can make sure your rights are protected if WestJet chooses to give your work to ultra-low-cost-carrier Swoop.

With Unifor, you will gain the voice in your workplace you need. 

If you have any questions at all, please contact your organizing team.