The move to bring the APPR (Air Passenger Protection Regulations) work from the Contact Centre team over to the Regulatory Affairs & Accessibility group isn’t just an administrative change — it’s a defensive maneuver. This shift keeps a federally regulated compliance function under direct company control in Canada as WestJet continues to outsource the Contact Centre. These roles, by their nature, must remain overseen by Canadian-based staff to meet CTA and APPR obligations. By removing APPR from the Contact Centre, WestJet is protecting the one function that cannot be offshored, even as it shifts guest-facing work out of the country.

The company’s own updates make that clear. In 2023, WestJet outsourced large portions of its Contact Centre work to WNS, an offshore vendor. Now, with the latest alignment and transition of live chat support from WNS to TELUS Digital (formerly TELUS International), we’re seeing a continuous and strategic movement — TELUS is steadily acquiring WestJet’s Contact Centre operations piece by piece. TELUS Digital has already been hiring new agents in El Salvador to handle guest support roles, while WestJet reassures Canadian staff that their jobs “won’t be impacted” — yet.

This follows the same Onex playbook we’ve seen before:

• Move regulated or sensitive work back under direct control to maintain compliance optics;

• Shift guest service and technical functions offshore under “strategic partnerships”;

• Use positive internal language like “alignment” or “realignment” to delay worker pushback;

• Streamline operations to make WestJet appear leaner and more cost-efficient ahead of a potential IPO.

Onex has a long history of buying and restructuring call centres and airlines, cutting costs by outsourcing Canadian work abroad, then selling the streamlined business at a profit. Each of these moves — from the 2023 outsourcing to WNS, to this year’s handoff to TELUS Digital, to bringing APPR work back in-house — fits a pattern designed to prepare WestJet for its eventual return to public markets.

Without a strong, collective voice or a union to stand up and fight, it won’t be long before TELUS Digital is running nearly all of WestJet’s Contact Centre operations outside of Canada — and more good Canadian jobs are gone.

That’s why organizing matters. Every “realignment” is another step toward replacement unless workers come together to draw the line.

Together, we can ensure that when Onex leaves, workers aren’t left behind.

Unifor National Representative, Organizing
📞 416.605.1443
✉️ billy.oneill@unifor.org

Lucy Alessio
Unifor National Coordinator, Organizing
📞 416.998.3189
✉️ lucy.alessio@unifor.org

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