Swoop, There it Is …

On 09 June 2023, ALPA announced the pilots of member airlines WestJet and Swoop have ratified a new four-year employment contract with industry-leading pay increases, strong job-security protections, and major scheduling and quality-of-life improvements.

Founded in 1931 and representing over seventy-thousand pilots in the employs of forty U.S. and Canadian airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is the world’s largest and most influential pilot union.

Of the 95-percent of eligible WestJet and Swoop pilots who cast ballots germane to the new agreement, 87-percent voted in favor thereof. The inchoate labor agreement connotes management’s recognition of the value and expertise the pilot cadres bring to WestJet and Swoop respectively, and helps solve many of the pilot recruitment and retention issues by which WestJet has been plagued in recent years.

WestJet ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC) chair Captain Bernard Lewall stated: “Since negotiations began, we have been clear that our experienced and dedicated pilots deserve a contract that delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work/life balance. We believe this contract, which is consistent with collective agreements other ALPA-represented pilot groups are signing with their employers, does just that.”

Since negotiations began in September 2022, WestJet management has repeatedly touted its plans for the airline’s future growth. By ratifying the new labor agreement, WestJet’s pilots have sent a strong message setting forth they remain individually and collectively committed to WestJet’s success and helping the company actualize its long-term ambitions.

Captain Lewall added: “Having this agreement in place will go a long way to solve many of the airline’s labor issues and bring more stability to our operations. I look forward to seeing our airline grow and become a career destination for pilots once again—which will benefit everyone from our company to our passengers and fellow employees.”

The new WestJet/Swoop contract goes into effect 01 July 2023 and will expire 31 December 2026. The deal includes retroactive pay to 01 January 2023—a boon certain to delight Canada’s tax collectors. In 2022, the average Canadian family paid 45.2-percent of its total income to federal, provincial, and local governments.

FMI: www.alpa.org