WestJet Says Union for Canadian Pilots Expects American-Style Compensation

Members of the Air Line Pilots Association demonstrate amid contract negotiations outside the WestJet headquarters in Calgary, Alta., on March 31, 2023. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

WestJet Airlines has suggested that the union representing Canadian pilots expects wages in this country to be on par with high wages for pilots in the United States, which is adding to the risk of a strike by the May long weekend.

“Despite efforts to be reasonable and provide significant improvements to the current contract, the union maintains its expectation of closing in towards U.S.-like wages, despite living and working in Canada,” WestJet said in a May 15 statement.

“This expectation is not reasonable and is impeding the WestJet Group’s ability to reach an agreement in advance of the upcoming long weekend,” said the airline, which maintains its pilots are among the highest paid in Canada.

South of the border, an estimated shortage of 10,000 pilots saw U.S. Delta Airlines offer pilots a new four-year contract with a 34 percent pay raise in December 2022, according to Reuters.

Pilots with other major airlines south of the border were quoted by the media outlet suggesting the salary raise would set a new “benchmark” for compensation.

The union for American Airlines pilots, the Allied Pilots Association, promptly told its members the Delta offer would “stimulate other ongoing labor negotiations” for commercial airline captains and first officers.

Canada is also experiencing movement within the industry, according to Bernard Lewall, the union representative for WestJet. He suggested roughly 340 pilots have left WestJet in the last 18 months for other opportunities.

“After nine months of negotiating, management still fails to understand today’s labour market conditions, leading to a mass exodus of our pilots in search of better work opportunities, and more will follow if this agreement does not meet our pilots’ needs,” Lewall said on May 15.

WestJet Airlines pilots assemble for a group photo after standing on a picket line at Toronto's Pearson Airport on May 8, 2023. The picket is one of three at Canada’s largest airports to show WestJet management they remain committed to negotiating a North American industry-standard contract. Chris Young/The Canadian Press

Strike Pending

More than 1,900 WestJet and subsidiary Swoop airline pilots and their union have threatened strike action as the two sides remain divided over wages and other collective bargaining negotiations. If a deal is not reached by May 19 at 3 a.m. ET, pilots will walk off the job and the airline will act on a lockout notice it gave the union.

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the airline appreciates its roughly 1,850 pilots from WestJet and Swoop.

“We truly value the work and contributions of our pilots. We believe with a commitment from both parties, an agreement is achievable and are committed to offering pilots a competitive collective agreement with meaningful improvements for the Canadian market, whilst remaining competitive at the same time,” said von Hoensbroech.

WestJet said that during collective bargaining, it has “brought forward a generous contract that if agreed to will make its first officers and captains the highest paid narrow-body pilots in Canada, with a significant advantage over the next best paying airline.”

Common passenger airplanes such as the Boeing 737, which have a single aisle between passenger seats, are referred to as narrow-body planes. These make up most of WestJet’s fleet.

WestJet’s CEO said the gap between union demands and what the airline carrier is offering is still “massive.”

He said the company has not been profitable since 2019 because of COVID lockdowns, which grounded flights and reduced travel. Onex Corp acquired the airline in 2019, and von Hoensbroech took the helm in February 2022.

Union Demands

WestJet offered the union a wage increase for pilots, which would give captains of wide-body planes earnings of $350,000 yearly in total compensation by the end of the collective agreement term. Captains of narrow-body planes would earn $300,000 annually. The details come from a letter sent from WestJet to flight crews that was obtained by The Canadian Press, and reported on May 17.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union that represents WestJet and Swoop pilots, has said over 90 percent of pilots voted in favour of a strike to obtain better pay, job security, and more flexible schedules.

A union member, Captain Jason Roberts, said on May 16 that the strike threat is not solely about wages.

“It’s a pilot attraction and retention issue,” he told Calgary Eyeopener. “We know what the market conditions are, the demand for pilots in the industry right now, and unfortunately we see what the company is offering … is not going to stop the outflow of pilots from WestJet,” he said.

Tim Perry, national president of the union, told Global News on May 16 that pilots are struggling financially with current wages.

ALPA did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.