Bargaining Update #46: Duty Period Premium Explained
Dear members,
It has been three years since the Airline Division of CUPE launched the Unpaid Work Won’t Fly Campaign and most recently our Local’s own campaign on the matter. It is no secret the amount of the unpaid work we experience as Cabin Personnel – whether it is our pre-flight checks, boardings, delays, sits between flights – the list goes on.
The Tentative Agreement that your Bargaining Committee has achieved includes a breakthrough framework for compensation of our unpaid work and time at the company. This framework will only grow into out next Collective Agreement which is only a little over two years away.
The Bargaining Committee believes that ratification is one of the most important decisions you will make during the collective bargaining process. We want to ensure that you see the value in the gains we have achieved at the bargaining table. Your Bargaining Committee unanimously recommends and endorses this Tentative Agreement and urges all members to vote.
One of the most significant gains achieved in this Tentative Agreement is the introduction of the Duty Period Premium (DPP), a new framework that recognizes time worked beyond the credit hours paid on a pairing.
The implementation of DPP will occur in two phases:
Phase 1
Beginning with the first full monthly scheduling period following ratification, members will receive a monthly Duty Period Premium Payment based on the number of flight legs operated, along with additional credit for eligible ground delays.
Phase 2
Beginning March 2, 2027, the full Duty Period Premium language will take effect. DPP will be calculated by comparing your total monthly duty time against monthly credit hours. In simple terms, the more your duty time exceeds your credited time over the course of a month, the greater your DPP payment may be.
The Bargaining Committee believes this represents an important step toward recognizing work that has historically gone uncompensated and establishes a new framework that values time spent on duty, not solely time spent flying.
To help members understand how DPP works, we have prepared:
Visit wjcomponent.ca/ta-info to review these resources and learn more.
Don't forget to register for an upcoming Town Hall here and cast your ballot when voting opens.
In unity,
Your WestJet Mainline Bargaining