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The 355 pilots it represents can stroll off the tarmac 72 hours after union management recordsdata a strike discover. The potential job motion or lockout can solely happen after a 21-day cooling-off interval that began when federal conciliation between the 2 sides wrapped up final week.
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Carin Kenny, who heads the union’s WestJet Encore contingent, mentioned its employees are the lowest-paid regional pilots in Canada, driving some to hunt jobs elsewhere.
The pilot scarcity that she says persists at Encore makes the leap to WestJet’s higher-wage mainline operation a uncommon feat, since flight crew are wanted on the regional degree.
WestJet didn’t instantly reply to questions on the strike mandate.
The airline narrowly averted a strike final 12 months after talks with a unique set of pilots got here right down to the wire, prompting the provider to cancel greater than 230 flights in preparation for a job motion earlier than a deal was reached hours forward of the walkout deadline.
The collective settlement with pilots at WestJet and Swoop — however not WestJet Encore — granted a 24 per cent pay bump over 4 years.
WestJet introduced in June final 12 months it might wind down its five-year-old subsidiary Swoop and fold the price range airline’s operations below its foremost banner.
The potential labour disruption comes as Canada’s second-largest airline faces indefinite delays on dozens of latest plane deliveries after a panel blowout on a Boeing 737 Max aircraft in January pushed again certification for the Max 10 because the U.S. plane maker contends with higher scrutiny from regulators.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 2, 2024.
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