The problem is simple: the AEA has no independent legal authority to negotiate a binding collective agreement with WestJet. It cannot compel WestJet to bargain over seniority, wages, benefits, scheduling, job security or other terms and conditions of employment. At the end of the day, WestJet makes the rules.

We saw the consequences at YWG when WestJet outsourced airport jobs there, along with work at Tier 2 and Tier 3 bases across the country. Workers had an association, but when their jobs were on the line, they did not have a certified union with the legal power to bargain and defend their work.

At YEG, workers have also heard promises about how things would be done and how the AEA would represent their concerns. But an association can only have the influence the employer allows it to have. WestJet ultimately remains in control.

There is a reason workers across WestJet have moved away from employee associations and chosen independent unions. Pilots, cabin crew and airport workers at YYC, YVR and YYZ recognized that having a voice is not the same as having bargaining power.

Employer-controlled or employer-dependent employee associations are nothing new. Historically, companies have used these types of structures to give workers a sense of representation while keeping the real decision-making power with management. A real union is different because it is independent of the employer and backed by labour law.

With Unifor, workers elect their representatives, determine their bargaining priorities and negotiate directly with WestJet. Once an agreement is reached, members vote on it and the resulting collective agreement is legally binding.

We have even seen former AEA representatives move into management roles when the association ceased to operate at particular bases. Whatever an individual's reasons for doing so, it highlights the fundamental problem with a system that depends on cooperation with management rather than independent bargaining power.

So what are YEG and YWG WestJetters waiting for?

We are receiving new Unifor membership cards, but many cards signed earlier in this campaign are reaching or have reached their six-month expiry.

If your card has expired, sign a new one.

If you haven't signed yet, now is the time.

If your card is still active, talk to a coworker and ask them to join you.

WestJetters have tried the association model. You already know its limitations.

It is time to build something with real bargaining power.

Together, WestJet employees in Edmonton and Winnipeg can build a stronger voice at work joining with Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.

Sign your Unifor membership card today:

Billy O'Neill
Unifor National Representative, Organizing
416.605.1443
billy.oneill@unifor.org

Lucy Alessio
Unifor National Representative, Organizing
416.998.3189
lucy.alessio@unifor.org