Omicron and Reduction of Service
Dear Members,
The explosion of the Omicron Variant of COVID-19, and the surging numbers of our Members reporting infections have led to an influx of questions and concerns to your Local Executive and Health and Safety Committee about the current onboard service standards.
The Union met with senior leadership from WestJet on December 30, 2021 to discuss safety concerns brought forward by our Members. The Union asked that WestJet act immediately and temporarily reduce or modify current levels of service in the cabin. WestJet advised the Union they would take the request away for further discussion including consultation with WestJet Group Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tammy McKnight.
The position of your Union and of the CUPE National Health and Safety Department is that onboard service should be reduced from current levels to limit exposure to unmasked passengers, and unnecessary time in the aisles by our Membership.
In addition, the Union requested that Flight Attendants should, at minimum, be provided with properly fitted respirators such as N-95 devices. This is for protection from airborne particles of the Omicron variant; and we suggest our Membership be provided with basic training on proper donning of respiratory PPE such as N-95 devices to ensure a snug fit and a proper seal.
Respiratory PPE for our Members has been a request from your Local 4070 OH&S Committee since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This request is more relevant than ever now after recent remarks from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), who noted that cloth and surgical masks are likely not sufficient to protect from the high transmissibility of the new variant.
Despite documented concerns from our Members and media quotes from WestJet spokespersons recently that estimated approximately sixty-eight (68) flights per day are being cancelled due to crew shortages directly tied to the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak, the Employer appeared reluctant to commit to a change in service level(s) at this time or to the provision of respiratory PPE such as N-95 devices.
How you can help: Please ensure you are reporting safety concerns related to service and the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant directly to your Employer via applicable and official avenues. Communicating your concerns to the Union are critical; however, if you do not similarly submit a Safety AQD to the Employer on this topic, management can often rebuff the Union’s claims of major Member concern and cite their significant lack of evidence submitted by employees with the same concerns being heard by your Union.
Steps to submission of Member safety concerns in the workplace:
Write an Employer Safety AQD / Incident Report
Copy and Paste the content/description of your Report into an email addressed to your Union OHS Committee and send
For WestJet Members: ws.ohs@cupe4070.ca
For WestJet Encore Members: wr.ohs@cupe4070.ca
For Swoop Members: wo.ohs@cupe4070.caSubmit your Employer Safety AQD / Incident Report
Following this process will ensure that the Employer and your Union are both simultaneously made aware of your concerns / incident. This is critical towards making our case to influence change to policy and/or procedure in consultation with management.
The Union would also like to urge every Member to take all measures currently available to protect yourselves and each other while at work and on layovers. Management has advised that certain PPE such as face shields remains available at crew rooms across the system. Please take the time to acquire these should you wish to further protect yourself.
PLEASE DO NOT COME TO WORK SICK
The Union applauds the Company’s commitment to safety by suspending service throughout most of 2020 and the earlier months of 2021. Your elected representatives continue to press the Employer to fully consider that similar consideration be given to this more virulent strain of COVID-19 that has already impacted so many aspects of our operation.
CUPE Local 4070 strongly adheres to the notion that the future success of our operation is directly tied to the health and well-being of our frontline workers, who continue to show their utmost dedication to WestJet’s long-term success through this continued challenging period.
We will continue to update you as this situation evolves. Please stay safe and take care of yourselves and each other.
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive and WS, WR & WO OH&S Committees