WestJet Encore Bargaining Update #4

Dear Members,

Last week, Round 5 of WestJet Encore Collective Bargaining took place April 7 - 9, 2021, via Zoom between the Union and the Company. The work of your Elected Bargaining Committee, including the Local 4070 President, Vice President, and CUPE National Bargaining Representatives, continues as we press ahead with the priorities that the Membership sent us to the negotiating table to achieve.

The work with both the Scheduling and the Reserve Articles passed back and forth multiple times. These two articles are large and comprehensive in nature. As a result, significant time by both parties is being invested to ensure well functioning and concise language to ensure the needs of each side is secured.

As previously mentioned in Bargaining Update #3: new concepts are being negotiated, and with this, the necessity for proper and diligent review of all proposals and their overarching impact on our Membership continues to be the top priority. One small change in the Scheduling Article can lead to unintended impacts across multiple other facets of the Agreement. The Committee ensures full diligence in reviewing all proposed language from the Company.

After two more days of proposal exchanges, by Friday morning a Tentative Agreement (TA) on the Reserve Article was reached. This has now been signed by both parties.

The remainder of Friday saw the Union Committee perfecting its proposed return of the 11-page Scheduling Article. This was completed by the Committee, and before the end of the day the Union presented its proposal back to the Company. Sound and detailed work has been put into this article by both sides. The Company has taken our proposal away and will respond at the start of our next scheduled round of bargaining. We are optimistic that a TA will soon be reached, with the majority of the content already agreed to in this Article.

Our next round of WestJet Encore bargaining is scheduled for May 11 - 13, 2021. Following reaching TA on the ongoing Scheduling negotiations, both sides have agreed to take on the Pay Administration Article. This is another large and significant Article, and includes, but is not limited to, wage rates/grids, how and when rates of pay are applied, daily and pairing minimums.

We have understood the mandate that our Members have sent us to the negotiating table with, and we will continue to work hard to secure the much needed improvements in this Article.

Should you have any questions regarding the bargaining process, please contact us at: weare4070@cupe4070.ca.


In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 WestJet Encore Bargaining Committee