Quick Highlights – Why Workers Are Joining Unifor

• Local Support: Unifor Local 531 already represents 1,800 WestJetters with an office at Calgary Airport.

• Airline Experience: 17,000 aviation workers & 7,500 airline customer service reps are already Unifor members.

• Stopping Outsourcing: At Air Canada, Unifor contracts forced jobs back to Canada. At WestJet, TELUS is hiring in El Salvador while cutting Canadian jobs.

• Fair Dues: 1.35% of wages, 100% tax-deductible, and not paid until after your first contract is ratified.

• Legal Power: Only a union gives you a collective agreement that protects jobs, wages, and working conditions.

Welcome to the campaign to unionize WestJet’s Contact Centre! Whether you’ve just signed up or you’ve been following along for a while, we’re excited to have you as part of this growing movement. Momentum is building every day, and together we’re standing up for strong, secure, good Canadian jobs at home.

Here are some key facts about Unifor and what we bring to the table:

Local Representation

Unifor has staff reps and local offices right here in Alberta. In fact, Unifor Local 531 represents 1,800 WestJetters at YYC, YVR, and YYZ, with an office at Calgary Airport. These workers are already preparing to bargain their second collective agreement next year to make further gains since organizing with Unifor.

Legal Support

Unifor has its own national legal department with lawyers across the country, working every day for our 320,000 members — including 17,000 in the airline industry.

Outsourcing Fights – And Wins

At Air Canada, Unifor members fought back against outsourcing — and won.

Today, North American calls must stay in Canada. Any call that originates here must be answered in one of the seven unionized offices. For Aeroplan specifically, all calls are handled at YVR (Vancouver) or YUL (Montreal). Workers even forced the company to repatriate jobs back to Canada that had previously been sent overseas.

Now compare that to WestJet: Onex continues to expand outsourcing, with TELUS International hiring for airline support jobs in El Salvador while cutting back at the Canadian Contact Centre. Instead of protecting Canadian jobs, WestJet is moving work abroad.

Proof of TELUS International Outsourcing for WestJet Work

• Customer Service (SSC): TELUS International is actively hiring English Customer Service Representatives in El Salvador. Job Posting – El Salvador Customer Service
  
  
• Airline Operations (RSD): TELUS International is actively hiring Airline Operations Support Specialists in El Salvador. Job Posting – El Salvador Airline Operations Support Specialist

The difference is clear:

• With a union and a collective agreement, workers at Air Canada secured legally enforceable limits on outsourcing and brought jobs home.
  
  
• Without a union, WestJet workers are left exposed to job cuts, voluntary separation offers, and “performance management” schemes like L.I.F.T!

No discipline based on KPIs or call metrics in Unifor Air Canada agreement read more:

That’s why organizing now matters — so WestJet workers can follow the same path and win real protections against outsourcing.

Airline & Telecom Experience

You already do similar work as Unifor members in Contact Centres and airports across Canada. Unifor represents more than 7,500 airline customer service agents (including airline call centres) nationwide, along with nearly 26,000 telecommunications workers. These groups have set industry standards through strong collective agreements.

Right now, Unifor is also preparing for bargaining with our members at Air Canada and Aeroplan Contact Centre, continuing to raise the bar for the sector.

Dues and Transparency

Union dues are 1.35% of wages (set by the Unifor Constitution) and have never increased since our union’s founding. Importantly, you don’t pay dues until after workers vote to ratify their first collective agreement — which means gains always come before costs.

Dues are also 100% tax-deductible. What makes dues valuable is what they fund: professional legal teams, bargaining committees, grievance handling, strike and defense funds, education programs, and the collective power of 320,000 workers across Canada.

Every local undergoes strict financial audits, and Unifor is the only Canadian union with an independent Public Review Board, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Why This Matters

Onex/WestJet continues to roll out changes that impact your jobs — from outsourcing to “performance management” schemes — and workers know the CCEA doesn’t have the legal power to stop it. The only way to secure binding protections is with a union and a collective agreement.

The momentum is clear: workers are uniting to stand up for fairness, security, and a real voice at work. With Unifor, you’ll join the largest private-sector union in Canada, with the strength and experience to protect your jobs and raise standards in your workplace.

👉 Ready to take the next step? Complete your confidential membership card here: join.unifor.org/westjet

Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Contact Centre — and protect good Canadian jobs for the future.

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!