WestJet Encore pilot leaders approve tentative agreement

WestJet Encore pilot leaders have voted to approve a full tentative agreement with management for a pilot ratification vote.

In the lead up to the membership vote, Capt. Carin Kenny, chair of the WestJet Encore Master Executive Council, issued the following statement.

“After seven months of tough but respectful negotiating, we are pleased to announce we have reached a tentative agreement with management,” said Kenny, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA). “This tentative agreement goes a long way towards addressing many of the long-standing issues for WestJet Encore pilots by bringing our wages and working conditions significantly more in line with those of our regional pilot counterparts across the country.

“Our goal has always been to reach an agreement that will help solve many of the airline’s pilot attraction and retention issues, provide industry-standard wages and working conditions, and provide a better work/life balance for our pilots.

“This tentative agreement delivers on providing better job security, industry-standard pay, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work-life balance—consistent with the collective agreements of our regional counterparts across Canada.

“WestJet Encore was once seen as the first step to a successful career within the WestJet Group. For the past several years, we have become a training ground for pilots who leave to find better career opportunities elsewhere. This contract will go a long way towards changing that, making the WestJet Group a desired career choice once again. Over the coming days, our WestJet Encore membership will begin voting on the tentative agreement."

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