CALGARY -- The Canadian Union of Public Employees confirms WestJet flight attendants have voted in favour of accepting a five-year contract agreement with the airline and the deal has been ratified.
CUPE says the deal will see wage increases for the more than 3,100 WestJet staff members it represents as well as a move toward industry-standard scheduling practices and pay calculation.
"This is the first collective agreement for members, so it’s an incredible milestone and we are thrilled that it was ratified over the weekend," said Chris Rauenbusch, CUPE 4070 president. "Reaching this agreement is a bright spot in what has been a tough year for our members and for the airline sector overall.
"I’d like to thank both our union and our bargaining committee for working so diligently to find a path forward in a particularly challenging and complicated context."
The tentative agreement was reached this February following bargaining that began in April 2019.
The collective bargaining agreement does not include WestJet Encore or Swoop cabin crew members. CUPE 4070 also represents the flight attendants of both WestJet subsidiaries and hopes to reach a similar agreement with the company in the near future.
