Grooming!

Dear WestJet Members, 

Your Union is receiving a number of reports of Cabin Personnel grooming aircrafts, where grooming is provided, but groomers are late to arrive to the aircraft or short staffed. 

We would like to remind all Cabin Personnel that Article 6-2.03 in your Collective Agreement outlines the Company’s responsibility to provide grooming on all flights over 1:45, or when arriving into a Base (YYZ/YYC/YVR), regardless of flight time; 

6-2.03 Cabin Personnel are required to maintain aircraft appearance while guests are onboard the aircraft. For flights with a scheduled Block Time of one hour and forty-five (1:45) minutes or less, and not arriving in a Base (YVR/YYC/YYZ), Cabin Personnel shall be required to complete post-flight aircraft tidying duties. Cabin Personnel shall not be required to perform post-flight aircraft tidying duties on wide-body aircraft. 

6-2.04 Post-flight aircraft tidying duties shall be limited to:  

• Placing armrests in the down position 

• Crossing of seatbelts 

• Removal of items for disposal not including clearing waste bins in the lavatories or galleys 

• Maintaining general aircraft appearance 

6-2.05 As an exception to 6-2.03 above, in the event of an exceptional circumstance where either no grooming is available or when a groom would result in a significant flight delay or cancellation, Cabin Personnel may be required to complete post-flight aircraft tidying duties on flights with a duration greater than one hour and forty-five (1:45) minutes for both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. 

If you are asked to groom by the Company, it is important as a Member that you ask what the exceptional circumstances are and to AQD/IHR the situation. When reporting these situations please include as much information as possible: Were no groomers available? What length of delay was anticipated? What aircraft tidying duties were performed? How was your OTP affected? Please copy your AQD and report it to your Base VP to allow for the appropriate follow-up.    

We would like our Members to understand that electing to violate the Collective Agreement sets precedent that the Employer can use at the bargaining table. Grooming was a significant win for WS Members, one that our WR and WO Members did not achieve for their Collective Agreements. By voluntarily violating the CA for expedience or convenience without an “exceptional circumstance,” we are essentially telling our Employer that we no longer value this as a part of our CA. 

As a reminder, Members are required to complete aircraft tidying duties on ALL WestJet Encore or Swoop flights including when deadheading and/or flying leisure. Additionally, any violation of the Collective Agreement should be reported to your Union. 

In Solidarity,

Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP, Tyson Conrod
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran