We wanted to share a brief update on the certification application Unifor filed on behalf of WestJet Contact Centre employees and where things currently stand in the Canada Industrial Relations Board process.

After receiving submissions from both Unifor and WestJet, a Labour Board Officer has issued what is called a Letter of Understanding. This letter does not decide the outcome of the application. Its purpose is to clearly summarize where the Union and the Employer agree, where they disagree, and which issues remain for the Board to determine as the process moves forward.

There is agreement between the Union and the Employer on the inclusion of the vast majority of Contact Centre roles. These include Service and Sales Agents, Guest Support, Reservation Support Desk, Rewards Support, Central Baggage, Travel Support, Facilitation, and Special Care. There is also agreement on the exclusion of a small and specific group of coordinator and administrative roles.

Where the parties differ is on a limited number of classifications. The Employer is seeking to exclude certain roles, including APPR Agents and APPR Specialists, and has also raised objections to some Groups and Quality related roles. Unifor does not agree with those exclusions. Our position is that these roles are part of Contact Centre operations, share a community of interest with other Contact Centre employees, and should be included in the bargaining unit. These disagreements are now clearly identified as disputed and will be decided by the Board.

One thing we want to be clear about is the issue of Groups roles. Initially, the Employer included Groups roles on the employee list provided to the Labour Board and did not identify them as excluded. During the investigation, the Employer later changed its position and now disputes whether those roles should be included. As a result, they are properly listed as disputed and will be determined by the Board.

A similar issue arose with the Schedule Change Team. In its earlier submissions, the Employer took the position that the Schedule Change Team should be excluded, and the Union accepted that position. More recently, the Employer indicated that it believes this role should instead be included. Because of that change, this role is now also treated as disputed and will be addressed by the Board.

Importantly, the Letter of Understanding accurately reflects that Unifor has not narrowed or changed the proposed bargaining unit. The application continues to cover Contact Centre employees, with only a small, clearly identified set of coordinator and administrative roles agreed to be excluded.

What happens next is that the Labour Board will review the file, consider the disputed roles, and determine the next procedural step, which may include a decision on scope, certification or moving the application toward a vote.

We also want to say that it has genuinely been great to watch so many of you take an interest in the process and get excited to hear directly from the Labour Board Officer. That engagement matters, and it shows how invested people are in having a real voice at work.

The Board will now review the file and determine next steps. We will continue to keep you updated as things progress.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. If you have questions about the process or what this means for you, please reach out to a Unifor representative.

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

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