WestJet Ordered To Stop Swoop Hiring Practices - ALPA

WestJet has been ordered to stop its current hiring practices for its new ultra low-cost carrier Swoop, the ALPA union said in a statement.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) had sided with pilots in a March 2 interim order against the airline.

The CIRB decision includes “a cease and desist warning regarding management’s attempted hiring practices for Swoop,” ALPA said.

The CIRB ruling came after the pilot union applied for an interim order against WestJet and WestJet Encore Airlines. There is also an unfair labour practice complaint still under consideration by the Board.

“It’s unfortunate that management refused to acknowledge our union and that government intervention was required, but this was a great win for both pilot groups,” Ryan Petrie, WestJet Encore’s MEC chairman said.

“We hope that we can now move forward with management and begin working toward securing our first collective agreement.”

The union filed an unfair labour practice (ULP) complaint in February, which included an application for an interim order that WestJet and WestJet Encore violated provisions of the Canada Labour Code.

The union alleged that Westjet had breached the code by negotiating direct rather than through the union for employing pilots at Swoop, interfering with the union’s exclusive representational rights at WestJet and WestJet Encore.

ALPA and the Canadian airline have been in talks since September 2017 on the first collective agreement for WestJet pilots.