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Paging Captain Norma Rae. Pilots might strike May 19.

Paging Captain Norma Rae. Pilots might strike May 19.

Old May 21, 2018, 12:37 am
  #91  
 
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[Begin dumb question ...]

The union "could issue a mandatory 72-hour strike notice beginning Saturday".
https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/201...on-strike.html

A friend, and a co-worker, are both booked on Westjet flights: one in the next 72 hours; one in four days.
If the strike notice hasn't yet happened (as I write this), does that mean they're both safe from any work stoppage or action that would cancel or postpone their flight?
If the strike notice were to happen say, tomorrow, does that mean no action can happen in the following 72 hours?

[... / End dumb question ]
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Old May 21, 2018, 4:48 am
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by jerry305
[Begin dumb question ...]

The union "could issue a mandatory 72-hour strike notice beginning Saturday".
https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/201...on-strike.html

A friend, and a co-worker, are both booked on Westjet flights: one in the next 72 hours; one in four days.
If the strike notice hasn't yet happened (as I write this), does that mean they're both safe from any work stoppage or action that would cancel or postpone their flight?
If the strike notice were to happen say, tomorrow, does that mean no action can happen in the following 72 hours?

[... / End dumb question ]
Appears both side have gone under the radar RE: leaks for info. That could mean a good thing that talks are progressing. On the other hand if talks go sideways then a 72 hour strike notice will be issued, which during those 72 hours a deal could still be reached. The uncertainty of this is a annoyance and stress for pax but I'm still of the opinion that a settlement will happen without a strike.
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Old May 21, 2018, 7:17 am
  #93  
 
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Thank you.
However, my dumb question remains:

Can a strike happen within the next 72 hours?
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Old May 21, 2018, 7:35 am
  #94  
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Originally Posted by jerry305
Thank you.
However, my dumb question remains:

Can a strike happen within the next 72 hours?
No it can't as AFAIK the pilots haven't given their formal 72-hour strike notice yet.
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Old May 21, 2018, 5:36 pm
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womens march - NEWS 1130 – WestJet Airlines says they are confident they will reach an agreement with their pilots as negotiations continue this week.The Calgary-based airline’s pilots have had the legal right to commence job action since Saturday, but said they wouldn’t disrupt travel plans over the Victoria Day long weekend.The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents WestJet’s pilots, says they will return to the bargaining table in Halifax this week.
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Old May 21, 2018, 6:04 pm
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Profit share is this Friday. No way in H*** they walk out before collecting that check. 72 hrs after that is another story.
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Old May 21, 2018, 8:33 pm
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Originally Posted by 575M
Profit share is this Friday. No way in H*** they walk out before collecting that check. 72 hrs after that is another story.
I would have to agree with that premise..
BTW welcome to FT
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Old May 22, 2018, 7:51 am
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Originally Posted by 575M
Profit share is this Friday. No way in H*** they walk out before collecting that check. 72 hrs after that is another story.
Any chance WS locks out the pilots before Friday if they don't see a deal happening imminently?
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Old May 22, 2018, 7:59 am
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Originally Posted by Gogie
Any chance WS locks out the pilots before Friday if they don't see a deal happening imminently?
.

Last edited by 575M; May 22, 2018 at 8:15 am
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Old May 22, 2018, 8:12 am
  #100  
 
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Gogie

Good question and one that I have been asking myself.

If negot's don't go well over the next few days I think it is a real possibility because of the profit share issue. I had to laugh at the unions benevolence toward the travelling public over the long weekend. It was all about waiting to get those profit share checks to have in case of a strike. Have to give them credit for playing the public to their advantage though.

One must remember that other employee groups are watching carefully and a lockout may make them think twice about following the pilot's path.
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Old May 22, 2018, 8:58 am
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...are you also laughing at the company's benevolence for telling the public it's business as usual in spite of a strike deadline that has come and gone but the uncertainty still remains?
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Old May 22, 2018, 8:59 am
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I've wondered about a lockout as well, but I have trouble believing that management wants to anger their customers that much. Companies that have lockouts usually try to spin it in some way, but I can't think of any way to spin a Westjet lockout that doesn't tick off huge numbers of customers.
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Old May 22, 2018, 9:02 am
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There won't be a lock-out and I doubt there will be a strike, it's amazing what can be accomplished once that 72 hour clock starts..
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Old May 22, 2018, 9:32 am
  #104  
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Originally Posted by smallmj
I've wondered about a lockout as well, but I have trouble believing that management wants to anger their customers that much. Companies that have lockouts usually try to spin it in some way, but I can't think of any way to spin a Westjet lockout that doesn't tick off huge numbers of customers.
Agree and would think such a bold step as a lock-out from a new CEO to be unlikely although that's merely MHO.
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Old May 22, 2018, 9:38 am
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Count the costs of a Strike:
1. Aircraft parked at airports everywhere.
2. Pax stranded at airports everywhere.
3. Travel plans down the toilet for future booked pax
4. Flight crews stuck at hotels (Other airlines would most likely assist in getting the crews back to their bases)
5. The unsightly picket lines at Airport Terminal buildings
6. Other employees of the airline temporarily laid off until strike over
...and on and on it would go. I'm not saying it's a never never, but a shutdown of the airline is fraught with short term and long term consequences, that's why both sides will do everything they can to get a deal.
Then there is the cost of starting up the airline after the strike, getting the aircraft re-positioned, crews back on-line, returning to a full schedule etc. It's a costly venture which will drain the company coffers big time. The downside also applies to the pilots, who will loose pay (unless they have a strike pay clause) etc.
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