Fellow FCMs,

As we all know, WestJet is planning to do a combined vacancy bid and reduction bid without layoffs in the upcoming months. The results of this bid will take effect on or after November 1, 2025. The purpose behind this bid is for WestJet to optimize their staffing efficiency by reducing the size of certain bases and expanding others.

While we recognize that a reduction bid will negatively impact the entire integrated pilot group, and believe strongly that it would be in WestJet’s best interests to preserve the status quo in terms of crewing numbers in the eastern bases, your MEC is not formally opposed to the concept of this bid since it’s a normal management contractual right that exists in nearly every airline Collective Agreement. Arbitrator Gedalof took steps to ensure both pilot groups had equal protection and declined to offer further protection; therefore, this ‘partial rebid’ is an expected outcome.

Unfortunately, the long-standing Captain Upgrade grievance, which is currently at arbitration, creates a large problem with any reduction bid. As the Union has outlined in arbitration, it is our position that Sunwing unfairly bypassed people with the seniority to be a Captain in favour of management’s chosen candidates with less seniority.

This creates a dilemma in terms of the pending WestJet reduction bid. The base and rank of a pilot determines their starting position in the reduction bid and has a major impact on their likelihood of maintaining either their base or rank. This is due to the fact that a reduction bid does not allow a pilot to use their seniority to move into a rank or base just because they want to bid it. A pilot’s reduction bid is only actioned if displacement (bumping) occurs first. What this means is that first officers who were unfairly denied their upgrades at Sunwing will be at a major disadvantage going into a reduction bid as they will not enter the reduction bid at what the Union believes their correct rank should have been. 

In short, running this reduction bid before the Captain Upgrade arbitration has been decided will have lasting consequences for many FCMs. It will serve to scramble the egg to the point that it would be almost impossible to reconstruct things if the Union is successful at arbitration.

Your MEC has been working to resolve the captain selection issue since it first occurred in 2020. Discussions took place with Sunwing both pre- and post-Covid, but they failed to produce a resolution. As a result, the issue was grieved. Despite this, management continued to misuse the process, prompting additional grievances. In total, four separate grievances were filed, each addressing separate violations related to captain upgrade bids and awards. Still, the Company refused to resolve the situation.

Our arbitration dates for this case are spread into December of this year, which also means that there is no hope of resolving the positions of bypassed first officers before the reduction bid takes place.

As a result, last week we filed a request for “Interim Relief” with the arbitrator. This is a request for Arbitrator Kaplan to stay the implementation of the reduction bid at WestJet until such time as a decision is made on the Captain Upgrade Arbitration.

While we expect that WestJet and the WestJet MEC will object to our motion, unfortunately there will likely not be another chance to ensure a fair remedy for those bypassed after the reduction bid is implemented.

Unfortunately, thus far, WestJet has refused to make an effort to resolve the outstanding grievances and arbitrations at Sunwing. It is regrettable that Sunwing has dug this hole so deep that we needed to file a request for a stay but we have been left with no choice.

To our WestJet colleagues - we are not filing this just to delay or prevent a reduction bid. We are very clear that this rebid can happen. The uncertainty for all FCMs is stressful and we regret that this is necessary. Regrettably, as stated above, this matter could have easily and should have been dealt within the previous 5 years. We hope that WestJet will now turn proper attention to this issue and will work to expedite a settlement, or better yet, timely and proper participation in this arbitration. We know that you would work just as hard as we are to defend the rights of your members in your Collective Agreement.

On the subject of further arbitrations, grievances filed will continue through the normal process despite the cessation of Sunwing’s flight operations. We have and will continue to reach out to work with Sunwing and WestJet in an attempt to settle outstanding issues. The timelines are frustrating for all involved but the process does tick along and will continue to do so until your MEC is satisfied that all outstanding issues have been resolved.