Hello WestJet & WestJet Encore Commuters and fellow Members, 

My name is Corie Ives, I am a commuter from Winnipeg and your elected YVR Commuter Committee rep. I am writing to you as I am the Chair of the Commuter Committee and would like to take this time to introduce myself and share some important information with you. The Committee is comprised of myself, Davide Orsi YYC base (commuter from Nanaimo), and our Executive Liaison Bryan Hansraj, WS YYZ Base VP. We currently have vacancies for our WR rep, and WS YYZ rep. 

Our Committee is responsible for ensuring the areas of the Collective Agreement (CA) that pertain to commuting Members are followed, advocate for commuters, answer commuting questions, report issues to our Executive Liaison to inform the Board, and reporting to the Membership at the GMM. This is outlined in the CUPE 4070 Bylaws (LINK). 

CUPE 4070 Members commute from across the country and are a large portion of our Membership. Losing the ability to commute would severely impact WestJet and WestJet Encore operations. We know that the recent announcements of the Employer, reductions of service, and increased loads has had an impact on commuters reporting safely on time to their base. Like all CUPE 4070 Members, Commuters are beyond dedicated, organized, and passionate about their job. Commuting adds an extra layer to their lives as Cabin Personnel / Cabin Crew Members as it imposes longer distance to report for duty, can be stressful, longer times away from home, and so much more. We recognize the challenges of commuting, and we appreciate the understanding and support of our colleagues. 

Your CUPE 4070 Commuter Committee has been active in responding to Member questions and engaging with other parties at CUPE 4070 to advocate for commuter issues to be addressed, identifying opportunities for future changes and improvements for commuters. We are also advocating for jumpseat agreements with other Canadian carriers (to be discussed at the December 2022 Airline Division Counsel of Presidents meeting), alternative modes of transportation, and building a list of discounted hotels.  

We want to remind you that when using the Available Crew Member (ACM) Policy you do not have to be in uniform but must have access to your uniform. If you choose to commute not in uniform, you must adhere to the Standby Dress Code and you are not liquid exempt. Also, commuters are given priority access to available flight attendant jump seats per Article 19-2.01 of the CA. It is important to note that while you do not require a buffer flight currently, it is your responsibility to report on time. If you miss your report, you will be coded UAV and trigger article 38-2 Missed Report Time. 

We would love to be able to connect with our commuting Members and ask that if you are a commuter, to let us know using this form:

COMMUTER FORM 

Should you have any commuting questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Commuter Committee: we are here to support you and advocate for you! If you have suggestions, or found deals that may benefit other Commuters, please share them with us so we can make the information available to all Members. To contact the Commuter Committee you can go to cupe4070.ca/contact or email us at: commuting@cupe4070.ca 

  In Solidarity, 

Your CUPE 4070 Commuter Committee