Thank you again for signing a Unifor membership card and supporting the effort to bring strong representation to WestJet Crew Schedulers. Your support has brought us to the next key stage in the certification process, and we want to keep you updated on where things stand.

We are currently waiting on a decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) regarding our application to certify a bargaining unit made up of Crew Schedulers and Lead Crew Schedulers who support WestJet’s mainline operations.

WestJet has pushed back, arguing that schedulers supporting Encore and Sunwing must be included in the bargaining unit. In response, Unifor has submitted a detailed legal and factual argument demonstrating that Q400 (Encore) operations are functionally distinct from WestJet’s mainline scheduling. Our application seeks to reflect how the work is actually structured—something the Board has emphasized in past decisions.

We remain optimistic that the Board will recognize the clear operational separation and move forward with our application as filed. However, if the Board rules that a larger unit must include Encore and Sunwing schedulers, it is likely that the process will proceed to a secret ballot vote involving the full group.

That means we need to be prepared.

While Encore and Sunwing schedulers have not been part of the organizing campaign up to now, we are beginning to reach out and talk with them about the value of joining a union and what it would mean to be included. If the Board orders a vote, every vote will count, and we must make sure that all schedulers—regardless of fleet—understand the importance of Unifor representation.

We’ll share updates as soon as the Board makes its decision. In the meantime, if you know any Encore or Sunwing schedulers, now is the time to start the conversation. We can win this.

If you have questions or ideas, or want to help with outreach, don’t hesitate to reach out.

If the CIRB includes Encore schedulers in the unit, we want to be ready. That’s why we’re now encouraging all crew schedulers, lead crew schedulers and shift lead crew schedulers to sign a confidential Unifor membership card at join.unifor.org/westjet. This helps ensure that, regardless of how the Board rules, we’ll have the necessary support to move forward.

In solidarity,

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

Don’t wait—click here to sign your card today!