tcook052

http://globalnews.ca/news/3505680/we...-unionization/

A recent successful bid to unionize WestJet pilots has prompted a push to organize flight attendants at the airline.

The airline, Canada’s second-largest, has long prided itself on its relationship with its employees, whom it refers to as co-owners. Among the benefits offered to WestJet staff are a company-matched share purchase plan.

But in recent weeks, WestJet has found itself the target of two unions wanting to represent its 3,000 flight attendants.

mahasamatman

It's inevitable.

jaysona

https://westjet.cupe.ca/2017/07/07/r...jet-employees/

tcook052

Interesting and thanks for sharing. It's not hard to already see the "us" and "them" chasm separating management & unions developing at WestJet.

jaysona

Yes, from what I hear from a few people I know at WS, the corporate tone and feeling have changed quite a bit over the past year or so. Not as much of a "family" feel as it used to be.... :-\

Error 601

I have been through some pretty ugly situations surrounding union drives, I would love to know who is advising WestJet on these things, if anybody at all because the points the CUPE dude is responding to sound like a tone deaf collection of cliches untouched by expertise.

tracon

The story spends a lot of time focusing on a one hour flight. I think in reality the pay for that flight will be closer to 1.4 or 1.5 hours. I believe pay is based on block time not air time. Not that that's much better.

WestJet flight attendants claim they're paid less than minimum wage - Business - CBC News

WestJet would pay the flight attendant for one hour of flying time — so a rate of $26 per hour spread out over the four hours they were physically on the job turns into $6.50 an hour for that type of shift, they say. That's well below the minimum wage in both Alberta ($13.60) and British Columbia ($11.35).

Full-time flight attendants have a starting wage of $25.29 per hour of flying time, and the maximum wage is $47.50 per hour. Based on the expectation of around 80 flying hours a month, an annual base salary begins at about $24,500 and tops out at about $46,500.

"Somebody out of high school will look at $25 and think that's fantastic, not understanding that's per flying block hour, not duty hour," one flight attendant said.

HangTen

[QUOTE=tracon;29532555]The story spends a lot of time focusing on a one hour flight. I think in reality the pay for that flight will be closer to 1.4 or 1.5 hours. I believe pay is based on block time not air time. Not that that's much better.

WestJet flight attendants claim they're paid less than minimum wage - Business - CBC News

WestJet would pay the flight attendant for one hour of flying time — so a rate of $26 per hour spread out over the four hours they were physically on the job turns into $6.50 an hour for that type of shift, they say. That's well below the minimum wage in both Alberta ($13.60) and British Columbia ($11.35).

Full-time flight attendants have a starting wage of $25.29 per hour of flying time, and the maximum wage is $47.50 per hour. Based on the expectation of around 80 flying hours a month, an annual base salary begins at about $24,500 and tops out at about $46,500.

"Somebody out of high school will look at $25 and think that's fantastic, not understanding that's per flying block hour, not duty hour," one flight attendant said.[/QUOTE\

Any guesses as to who fed this story to the CBC, who's reporters have the research skills of an average junior high school student and efforts are now barely above the level of National Enquirer writers? Any wonder why this once proud profession has fallen into the toilet over the past 20 years?

There was a time when the CBC was on par with the BBC for unbiased reporting and simple presentation of well researched facts. Journalists reported the news, they didn't try fabricate news.

Those days are long gone.

And Canadian's wonder how Trump got elected....

mahasamatman

Did you by any chance get rejected for or fired from a job at CBC? I can't see any other reason for such hatred.

james dean

The WS FA's should be compensated the same as other Canadian Major Airlines (AC) FA's, I don't think it's unreasonable for them to expect that. I think that was the gist of the CBC article, clearly that goes against the grain for certain individuals at WS.

jaysona

There is no hatred, the sentiments regarding the CBC are quite justified. The CBC has gone from being a respectable new reporting organization to nothing more than a bunch of blogger-style hacks that are either incapable of, or have no desire to perform the appropriate level of fact finding and knowledge gathering before publishing a story - especially when it comes to anything aviation related. The CBC has become noting more than laughable when it comes to everyday journalism. :\

Fiordland

I think that describes a lot of media outlets these days. When you cut-back the number of people doing journalism and expect them to be assigned a story at the start of the day and file the story by then end of the day that is what you get.

james dean

I find most people including politicians hate the media when it goes against there ideology or narratives and vice versa when a newspaper or TV news gives them a positive report & in doing so will often quote that news article to back up their position.

tcook052

https://globalnews.ca/news/5239060/w...ts-union-cupe/

CUPE certified to represent hundreds of flight attendants at WestJet Encore

james dean

Congratulations!! "may the force be with you"