Paging Captain Norma Rae. Pilots might strike May 19.
 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/unio...ract-1.3902714

Union that represents WestJet pilots calls for strike vote to press for contract

CALGARY - The union that represents pilots at WestJet has called for a strike vote to press its demand for its first contract.

The Air Line Pilots Association says pilots began voting Wednesday and the balloting will continue for 15 days.

I really hope there is an introspective "how [removed masked profanity] did we end up here?" conversation going on right now.

Would you fly on an aircraft piloted by someone who is dumb enough to think that going on strike is a good idea?

i would, especially if their employer pays them poorly and throws crappy work rules on them. pretty much every other airline has unionized pilots, i don't get the big deal here.

So does that mean AC are off the menu for you as well as WS? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...article544898/

Who says WS pays its pilots crappy wages? Do we know if WS pilots earn dramatically lower paycheques than their counterparts at AC?

From what I understand the Westjet 767 wages and working conditions are equivalent to slightly better than Air Transat. The problem becomes the Dreamliner wherein WS suddenly wants AC aircraft type and services ( Signature Suite) and to fly into mainline type cities throughout the world. I have full sympathies for the WS pilot arguement, want mainline product, pay mainline rates and equivalent working conditions.

The strike potential also demonstrates the stupidity of the WS Board. They should not have fired Saretsky until after the strike. The way its been handled, WS pilots think they have the new CEO over a barrel, and the pilots are right.

Meanwhile.. Seretsky is enjoying a pina coloda on some beach far far away :

My thinking precisely.

I'll hope cooler heads will prevail and a strike can be averted because it will damage the WS brand if the flying public can't count on consistent service and the airline goes through a period of labour strife like AC did in the not-too-distant past.

Air Canada didn’t waste any time using any potential Westjet pilot strike action to their benefit:

Air Canada prepared for potential labour disruptions at WestJet

MONTREAL , April 26, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today said it is ready to adjust its schedules and capacity to limit disruptions for the traveling public and to ensure that customers get to their destinations in the event of a labour disruption at WestJet.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/air-c...?.tsrc=applewf

Pilot friend at WS takes home less than his f/a spouse at AC.

Fine print......
He has about 10 years seniority and participates in ESOP.
She has closer to 20 years.

Of all the employees I know at WS, none can give me a straight answer on what their pay is.
Partially because of ESOP, profit sharing and whatever other blow smoke up your *ss gimicks they get.

Hope not. For fun I booked ATL-BOS-YYZ with a Dash-8 through Delta shortly after this.

Oh well.

Is the strike date set in stone...what I mean is if the voting is finalized before May 19 can they strike earlier?