WestJet, travel advisors and consumers appear to have avoided what would have been a painful mechanics strike.
The WestJet Group and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the certified union representing WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, announced late on 05MAY that they have reached a tentative agreement on the first collective bargaining agreement between the groups. Both parties now must await the result of a ratification vote by union members.
WestJet Group issued a lockout notice to the union on the weekend, and said a mechanics’ work stoppage could begin on 06 MAY at noon Mountain Time if a deal wasn’t reached in the interim. The mere whisper of a job action had been making travellers nervous about upcoming flights, but a lockout or strike now seems unlikely.
"The WestJet Group is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that is industry-leading within Canada and recognizes the important contributions of our valued Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, making them the highest paid in Canada, while delivering industry leading work-life balance standards and strong commitments to job security," said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer. "We are grateful to have arrived at a deal, averting a work stoppage and any impact to our guests’ valued travel plans.
“We sincerely appreciate our guests’ patience during this time and are pleased to move forward with an unwavering focus to providing friendly, reliable and affordable air service to Canadians for years to come, as one unified team,” he said.
“After nine months of tough negotiating, we are proud to have reached a tentative agreement that will now be presented, through the ratification process, to the hard- working Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Technical Operations employees who go above and beyond to maintain a best-in-class culture of safety for the WestJet Group,” said Will Abbott, AMFA National Region II Director, Chairman.
In its lockout statement on the weekend, the WestJet group said it “has been in active labour negotiations with AMFA since September 2023. The WestJet Group has presented an offer to AMFA that would make WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers the highest paid in Canada, with a cumulative wage increase of over 20 per cent across the span of the collective agreement.”
