Bargaining Survey #1 Coming Soon! Your Voice. Your Priorities. Why This Survey Matters.

Dear Members,

As we prepare for our upcoming round of collective bargaining, we want to share that a Bargaining Priorities Survey will be released today. 

This survey has been developed in consultation with CUPE’s National Research Department and follows the standardized approach used across CUPE’s Airline Division. Your Local Executive Committee has also reviewed surveys used by other unions at WestJet to ensure our process reflects both our shared environment and your unique needs. 

Why We’re Starting with a Priorities Survey: 

While many members are still new to collective bargaining, this is now our second contract as a unionized group—and for some, it may even be your third or fourth contract experience. Regardless of whether this is your first time participating in negotiations or you have been through the process before, we know that you care deeply about the issues that impact your working life and want to be actively involved in shaping the outcome.  

That said, bargaining is a complex, strategic, and evolving process. The most effective way for members to influence negotiations—regardless of experience—is through a priorities-based survey. 

This approach is the standard across CUPE and most unions in Canada because it ensures that bargaining committees have a strong, unified mandate that reflects the real-world concerns of the membership while preserving the flexibility needed to negotiate effectively at the table. 

1. It Identifies What Matters Most: 

The purpose of bargaining is to improve your working conditions, but we can’t address everything at once. A priorities survey tells the Bargaining Committee what matters most to you—wages, scheduling, job security, career progression, or other issues—so we can focus on what’s most important to the membership as a whole. 

Rather than starting with a list of demands or pre-written proposals, we need to start by understanding the problems you're facing. That gives us the flexibility to explore the best solutions once we’re at the table.  We need to establish a base line in order to move forward from there asking more specific questions. 

2. It Keeps Us Strategic and United: 

Bargaining isn’t about showing up with a checklist—it’s a dynamic, back-and-forth process that involves negotiation, compromise, and strategy.  

Focusing on the issue instead of the solution—like "cost of living is outpacing our wages" or "schedules are harming work-life balance"—allows your committee to negotiate smarter, adapt to the employer’s responses, and still achieve meaningful gains. 

3. It Respects Your Role and The Bargaining Committee’s: 

Some members have asked why they aren’t being asked to vote on contract language line by line. The reason is simple: bargaining isn’t a public vote—it’s a structured negotiation. Your elected Bargaining Committee is tasked with taking your feedback, applying expertise, responding in real-time to the employer’s proposals, and bringing back the best possible tentative agreement. 

You will always have the final say when it matters most—ratification. Once a tentative agreement is reached, you will have the opportunity to review and vote on the full contract. Until then, the survey is how you influence what we focus our negotiating efforts on. 

Follow-Up: The Seniority Survey 

After the overall priorities survey, we will be conducting a Seniority Survey. This follow-up survey will gather insight from the membership on various aspects of seniority and how it is applied within our Collective Agreement from different perspectives. 

Seniority is a foundational element of our work environment, and we recognize that it impacts members differently depending on their roles, bases, and career progression. Your feedback will help ensure we address seniority issues in a way that reflects the diverse needs of our membership. 

Following that, in consultation with the Bargaining Committee, as we move through the process, we will return to the membership to confirm and refine our mandate when required. This ongoing consultation will help ensure that our bargaining direction remains clear, relevant, and driven by your input. 

Want to Share Specific Proposals? 

We still welcome your ideas. At the end of the survey, there will be a comments section where you can provide specific suggestions or concerns. Everything you share will be reviewed by the Bargaining Committee. 

What Happens Next? 

Once we receive the survey results, we will analyze and compile the top member-identified priorities. These will be shared with all members to ensure we have a clear and aligned direction before formal bargaining begins. This ensures transparency and unity throughout the process. 

We are also committed to sending out follow-up surveys or consultations if needed—either by your Bargaining Committee or the Local Executive—so your voice stays at the heart of our negotiations. 

This is Your Contract. Your Voice Matters. 

Your feedback is essential to building a strong, unified bargaining position. Let’s make sure our collective priorities are clear and that we continue to shape our future together. 

#CA2 #OurTurn2025 #Ourtime2025 

In Unity,
WestJet Component - CUPE Local 8125