Summary
- WestJet Encore pilots ratify new 5-year agreement, averting potential strike crisis. Big win for airline and ALPA.
- Agreement sets new pay standard for regional pilots, enhancing career progression and attracting talent to WestJet.
- WestJet Encore crucial for WestJet Group growth, connects Western Canada regions. Positive outcome after tough negotiations.
After a false start earlier this year, good news came last week when WestJet Encore pilots ratified a new five-year agreement with the airline. The successful outcome of the new collective bargaining agreement was announced on June 14, ending some tough negotiations between WestJet and the Air Lines Pilots Association, International.
Settled for five years
The new deal is the second collective bargaining agreement between Westjet Group and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the certified union representing Encore pilots. It takes effect immediately retroactive to January 1, 2024, and runs through the end of 2028. Welcoming the successful outcome, WestJet Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer Diederik Pen said:
“We are pleased to have an agreement that reflects the instrumental value and contributions of our Encore pilots. This agreement reflects our commitment to our Encore pilots and their contributions to the WestJet Group as we continue to invest in our growth and Encore operations, which provide critical connectivity to regions across Western Canada.”
Photo: WestJet
WestJet has been negotiating with the pilots since September 2023, which included issuing a 72-hour strike notice in May after the pilots rejected a tentative deal. WestJet also issued an advanced lockout notice to the ALPA, and with both actions due to begin on June 1, it seemed likely the WestJet Encore network would face severe disruption.
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According to the ALPA, Encore pilots rejected that deal because they were “underwhelmed by Westjet group’s attempts at using compensation to gloss over many of the core structural issues of the operation.” Fortunately for all involved, including WestJet passengers, things moved on fairly quickly and of the 91% of eligible pilots who cast ballots, 79% voted in favor of accepting this agreement.
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying
Attracting talent to WestJet
The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, although the ALPA said the pay increase set a new standard for regional pilots. Captain Carin Kenny, chair of the WestJet Encore ALPA Master Executive Council, said the contract’s ratification is a step toward the company and its pilots working together to put the airline in a more competitive position.
“Since negotiations began, we were clear that to attract new pilots to the Westjet Group and retain the ones currently flying for our airline, we needed a contract that provides competitive compensation, improved scheduling flexibility, and a level of career progression.”
“We are hopeful that this contract, which is industry-leading in many ways for a regional carrier, will make the WestJet Group a desired career choice once again for pilots.”
The ALPA said that in the past, working for Westjet Encore was recognized as the first step toward a successful career within the WestJet Group. However, it believes that over the past several years, that has changed and “the airline has been little more than a training ground for pilots who choose to take their experience and fly elsewhere.”
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WestJet Encore, the regional subsidiary of WestJet, operates a fleet of 47 De Havilland Dash 8-Q400 turboprops to regional destinations in the WestJet network. The Dash 8s are configured in a two-class layout of 78 seats, comprising ten premium and 68 economy seats.
Have you flown with WestJet Encore? Let us know about it in the comments.