Mainline Bargaining Update #10: Week 10 at the Table

Dear Members,

Last week, your Mainline Bargaining Committee concluded the tenth week of in-person negotiations with the Company in Calgary.

With the help of the CUPE National Health and Safety Coordinator and Local OHS Co-Chair, our week focused on Article 32 – Health and Safety. While often overlooked, this Article has implications throughout our Collective Agreement, and every day when we show up to work.

As Cabin Crew, we work in safety-sensitive positions. From turbulence and medical events to fatigue, unruly guests and violence, and emotional strain, our profession demands more than recognition; it demands protection.

That’s why strong Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) language in our Collective Agreement is not just important; it’s foundational. It ensures our rights under the Canada Labour Code remain enforceable. It gives us the tools to report hazards, challenge unsafe practices, and push for meaningful protections.

Enshrining strong health and safety clauses into our Agreement is also a strategic step. It strengthens our position in future negotiations, lays out groundwork for other critical articles, and reinforces the collaborative, yet firm approach your Bargaining Committee continues to uphold.

Securing agreements on basic safety, hazard prevention, and respectful working relationships should be straightforward. Unfortunately, our ongoing discussions with the Employer on these matters have been difficult, however we remain resilient and focused.

Your committee will continue to push forward. To do so effectively, we need your continued engagement and unity. A safer, more respectful workplace is not just a bargaining goal; it’s a shared value we must insist upon together.

As mentioned in our last update(s), we are also nearing the tail end of non-monetary negotiations and have begun early discussions on monetary items.

Reserve Survey

We have completed the draft of the Reserve Survey. This is a vital step in the process and will require input from all members, whether you are currently assigned Reserve or not to share your experiences, insights, and perspectives on how Reserve functions or could function.

Reserve can be approached in several different ways, and there is no single model that automatically meets the needs of every base, seniority group, or lifestyle. This survey is not intended to determine a mandate in one direction or another. Instead, it is designed to gather broad feedback on a range of options and concepts so we can better understand what matters most to members and explore the paths available as we move forward.

Prior to the survey being released, we will be distributing a comprehensive educational document to support members in providing informed feedback. Reserve is a complex topic with many moving parts, and we recognize that members may have different levels of familiarity depending on their base, seniority, and personal experience.

There is also other material that will be shared which is intended to create a shared baseline of understanding. It will outline our current Reserve structure and provide a detailed comparison of other Reserve models that exist both within the WestJet group and among other carriers so members can better evaluate the options and considerations before completing the survey.

We anticipate the release of the Reserve Survey in the coming weeks as it gets programmed, tested, and translated for distribution by CUPE National to the membership.

Jeppesen – New Crew Management System

The Bargaining Committee had the opportunity to see a presentation by the vendor and Employer on Jeppesen. The Employer communicated in October that several of our current crew management platforms, including Flica, will be replaced in fall 2027.

These streamlined process improvements stand to improve the operational flow from an organizational standpoint. Many back-end processes today require a large manual input from operational units such as Crew Scheduling, which often leads to inefficiencies and increases the potential for errors during stressful times, such as IROPs.

Along with optimizing processes for the Employer, this system shows some improvements for Cabin Personnel. While there are still several unknowns about this software’s potential, the Employer continues to be transparent with the Union and Committee through the initial stages of the integration progress.  

It is important that the Bargaining Committee has exposure to the future systems the Company will be implementing during the term of this next collective agreement. These systems will have a direct impact on things like day-to-day scheduling, shift trades, reassignment, open time, and other provisions.  

Pay Progression / Retro Pay

A reminder that all conditions of the Collective Agreement remain in full effect until the ratification of a new one. Any Cabin Personnel who anticipate a wage scale step increase will continue to receive increases in accordance with Article 43-1. For clarity, this applies to all step increases on the current pay scale. We have confirmed this with the Employer.  

A common question from the membership relates to retro pay upon implementation of CA2. This is something that will have to be negotiated at the bargaining table and is situational depending on the context in which it is offered. Discussions on wages have not commenced, and further information will be shared as we progress through bargaining.  

Article Tracker

The article tracker remains an important transparency tool and provides a clear indication of where progress has or has not occurred. While we cannot share the specific content of signed-off articles, making the tracker public allows members to monitor movement and understand where we are in the process.

To access the tracker: www.wjcomponent.ca/negotiation-tracker

Upcoming Bargaining Dates

• January 19th – 23rd – Edmonton, AB

• January 26th – 29th – Calgary, AB

• February 9th – 13th – Winnipeg, MB

• February 23rd – 27th – Calgary, AB

Member engagement continues to play a critical role. Please continue to follow, like, and share social media posts, and stay updated through your email communications.

In Unity,

WestJet Bargaining Committee

Alia Hussain - President
Bryan Hansraj - WestJet Unit VP
Jean-Francois Laframboise - YVR/YEG Rep
Shane Campbell - YYC Rep
Justin Patterson - YYZ Rep
Cailey Millard - YWG/YUL Rep
Alex Grigoriev - Local Executive (Alternate)
Cameron Jones - Local Executive (Alternate)