Unifor is currently awaiting a decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board regarding the Contact Centre certification application and the Crew Schedulers application.

In the meantime, Unifor has received several emails and messages from workers across the Contact Centre and Groups team following recent communications regarding merit increases, management changes, and the layoff of Team Leads.

We understand that these developments have created uncertainty and frustration.

Merit Increases

Workers in the Groups team have been advised that merit increases are being held back due to the ongoing application before the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

It is important to be clear that Unifor does not control or stop wage increases prior to certification. These decisions are made by WestJet management.

Unifor’s position is that workers should continue to receive their normal wage increases, even while an application is under review. Workers should not be financially penalized for exercising their rights under the Canada Labour Code.

In fact, Unifor has already filed an Unfair Labour Practice complaint against Onex WestJet in a similar situation involving Crew Schedulers who were advised in December that they would not receive their increases. Unifor is seeking to ensure that affected workers receive the wages they were denied.

Groups Team Inclusion

There continues to be a disagreement between Unifor and WestJet regarding whether the Group Sales Specialist and Group Sales Senior Specialist roles should be included in the bargaining unit.

WestJet has argued that these roles should be excluded based on differences in scheduling, pay structure, and the nature of the work.

Unifor’s position is based on the employer’s own job descriptions, which identify these roles as performing core airline service work including quoting, booking, payment processing, tracking, and coordination with operational teams such as airports and inflight. These roles also rely on the same systems and require similar experience to other Contact Centre employees.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board will review both positions and make the final determination.

Management Changes and Layoffs

Workers have also raised concerns about recent management changes and the layoff of Team Leads.

These developments highlight exactly why many workers across WestJet have been working hard to unionize. Decisions that directly impact jobs, structure, and stability continue to be made unilaterally, without meaningful input or protection for workers.

It is also important to acknowledge that some of the Team Leads who have now lost their positions were, at times, opposed to or did not support the efforts to unionize. While there may have been differences in perspective, it is still deeply unfortunate to see workers impacted in this way.

Unifor’s position is consistent. No worker should be treated as disposable.

The continued approach by Onex WestJet to reduce costs at every opportunity, including through layoffs and restructuring, reflects a broader pattern of decisions being made without regard for the contributions of workers who helped build and sustain the company.

These developments reinforce the importance of having a collective voice and enforceable protections to ensure that workers are treated fairly and with respect moving forward.

Moving Forward

Unifor will continue to advocate for workers throughout this process and ensure that your concerns are brought forward.

The certification process is ongoing, and once the Canada Industrial Relations Board issues its decision on the scope of the bargaining unit, that update will be shared.

If you have questions or would like to speak further, please reach out directly.

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