WestJet tentative deal with pilots calls for 24% pay raise over 4 years

WestJet pilots are bound for a 24 per cent pay bump over four years under an agreement-in-principle between the company and the union.

Pilots will receive a 15.5 per cent hourly pay raise this year retroactive to Jan. 1 upon ratification of the deal, according to a copy of the tentative agreement summary obtained by The Canadian Press.

It also lays out a cumulative 8.5 per cent hike to their hourly wage over the remainder of the contract, from 2024 through 2026.

Bargaining came down to the wire last week, with WestJet cancelling more than 230 flights in preparation for job action before a deal was reached hours ahead of the strike deadline on May 19.

The agreement sets a new standard for labour gains in Canadian aviation, says expert Rick Erickson.

“You can bet that Air Canada’s pilot union will be looking at this very, very closely,” said Erickson, managing director of consulting firm R.P. Erickson and Associates.

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Flight crews at the country’s biggest carrier may soon be in bargaining themselves. In a letter to members this month, the Air Canada Pilots Association said workers must decide by May 29 whether to stick with their 10-year collective agreement inked in 2014 or opt to start full negotiations ahead of time this year.

The WestJet deal could also make it tougher for budget airline competitors Flair Airlines and Lynx Air to retain pilots, even as they gain an edge on labour costs.

“’Does it make sense for me to stay here where I am? Or should I move over to one of the majors where I’ll get paid better for it but have completely different working circumstances?”’ Erickson asked, paraphrasing pilots who would have higher compensation but lower seniority — and thus worse scheduling options — on arrival at a large airline.

Bernard Lewall, who heads the Air Line Pilots Association’s WestJet contingent, said last Friday after reaching a deal that the union achieved its main goals of better pay, job security and work-life balance.

He said the union expects to hold a ratification vote on the tentative agreement starting next week, with WestJet and discount subsidiary Swoop’s 1,800 pilots able to cast a ballot for up to 10 days.

As negotiations ground on last week, the Air Line Pilots Association also approved a merger with the Air Canada Pilots Association’s 4,500 members, bringing the country’s two biggest flight crew labour groups under one roof.

The move means 95 per cent of professional Canadian pilots are represented by a single union, according to Charlene Hudy, the Air Canada union’s council chair.