Another airline's pilots have triggered contract negotiations with their employer, with their union citing the need for new terms to stem a "mass exodus" of pilots.
On 03SEP, 400 WestJet Encore pilots, via their union, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), announced to airline management their intention to open contract negotiations on the pilot group’s second collective agreement.
WestJet Encore, the regional carrier for WestJet Airlines, is based in Calgary and flies to nearly 40 destination across Canada.
“Our pilot group leaders and Negotiating Committee have been working hard over the last several months to come in fully prepared on day one of negotiations,” said Capt. Carin Kenny, representing WestJet's unionized pilots.
“While the (pilots) remain optimistic that we can negotiate a fair contract with management in a reasonable amount of time, we are only half of the equation.”
Pilots and their union say the negotiations are aimed at solving three major sticking points with the airline: seniority, career recognition, and career progression.
“While wages and working conditions are a major focus for most labour negotiations, it is crucial for management to understand that without any drastic improvement on career progression, seniority, and career recognition, there is no reason for an Encore pilot to stay,” Kenny continued.
“Unfortunately, despite a mass exodus of pilots from our ranks already this year, management has been unwilling to address the main concerns of the Encore pilots or provide a solution we all know would fix their problems and ours.”
We Sense a Trend...
As Open Jaw reported, in JUN, ALPA, representing over a hundred Lynx pilots, sent notice to that airline of its intentions to open negotiations for the pilot group’s first collective agreement.
ALPA is the world’s largest pilot’s union, representing over 75,000 pilots at 43 U.S. and Canadian airlines, and has scored big wins for Canadian pilots recently, with an historic deal for WestJet Group pilots that will see them with a 24 per cent pay raise over 4 years, as Open Jaw has reported.
Air Canada pilots also voted earlier this year to join ALPA and end their 10-year labour agreement a year early to begin negotiations
