Brandon safe from possible WestJet strike

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This article was published 17/05/2023 (1051 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A potential strike by WestJet pilots this week will not disrupt flights in and out of the Brandon Municipal Airport, according to the airport manager.

Greg Brown said the crews who fly the Encore jets into the Wheat City are in a different union than the pilots who fly the 737s in WestJet’s main fleet — the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which issued a 72-hour strike notice Monday.

The daily flights to and from Calgary will not be affected by ALPA’s job action, Brown added.

“We are concerned, but the outcome of the labour management issue is not within our control, and it’s not WestJet Encore that has issued strike notice,” Brown said. “We have not been notified of any interruptions to scheduled service.”

After the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents about 1,800 WestJet and Swoop pilots, issued a 72-hour strike notice Monday, WestJet responded with a lockout notice that could come into effect at 3 a.m. Friday, the start of the Victoria Day long weekend.

The timing couldn’t be worse, said a Shoal Lake father who is scrambling to find new flights to Ontario for an upcoming family reunion.

Kevin Menzie booked flights almost a year ago for himself, his wife and two children to fly from Winnipeg to Toronto over the May long weekend, but with a strike looming, he said he’s looking for seats with Air Canada.

“I’ve never been a gambling man, so I don’t want to risk not having a backup plan if the pilots do go on strike and we’re left standing in the airport with nowhere to go,” said Menzie.

The original WestJet flights for four people cost the Menzies about $3,500, plus the cost of a hotel in Toronto and a trip to Canada’s Wonderland, he said.

“This is our big vacation to see family we haven’t seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. I was as excited as the kids, but the flights on Air Canada are almost a thousand dollars more than the original WestJet booking,” said Menzie.

ALPA and WestJet have been in negotiations for nine months, deliberating over pilots’ concerns about wages, overscheduling, working conditions and job security, said Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the WestJet ALPA Master Executive Council, in a message on the union’s website.

“Every 18 hours, on average, a WestJet Group pilot leaves in search of a better opportunity. The airline has a pilot attraction and retention problem, but the goal of negotiations is to change that and make this airline a career destination for pilots once again,” Lewall stated.

In response, WestJet posted a statement on its website and insisted mainline pilots are among the best paid pilots in Canada. The company said it’s not willing to put its 15,000 employees “at risk by agreeing to contract that isn’t financially viable,” and if required, is ready to financially weather labour action.

It’s now a waiting game to see if there will be any kind of job action, said a Brandon travel consultant.

Katie Stiff with McPhail Travel said air travel has been on an upswing since pandemic restrictions were lifted, and she encourages cooler heads to prevail if there is a strike.

“I worked through a temporary strike that was resolved quickly enough, so people have to be flexible for sure,” said Stiff.

In the event of a strike, the airline would rebook as soon as they could, she added, but the onus is on the traveller to be prepared for the unexpected.

“Insurance is just that extra peace of mind to make sure that things are covered and it’s as flawless as it can be. You never want to have to use it, but it’s there, and it makes a hotel stay, if need be, that much easier should something happen,” Stiff said.

Some travellers may be able to change or cancel their flights if there is a strike, according to a guest update page on WestJet’s website.

There will be no fee for changes or cancellations for travel between now and Sunday, but if there is a change in destination, the difference in the fare will be applied.

For more information, visit https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/guest-updates.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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