(Calgary) The union representing WestJet pilots says contract talks with the airline have been unproductive and federal conciliation may be needed to avert a strike.
ALPA Canada, which represents about 1,800 pilots at WestJet and its low-cost subsidiary Swoop, says it has been negotiating with the Calgary-based company since September.
He said the two sides were at an impasse over issues such as wages and hours.
WestJet pilots first unionized in May 2017, marking a major shift in the airline’s culture.
The pilots’ first collective bargaining agreement, which expired at the end of 2022, was the result of an arbitration settlement.
The settlement, reached in 2018, averted a threat of a pilot strike as WestJet pilots voted in favor of industrial action after negotiations broke down.