For Immediate Release
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – July 12, 2024 – WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) in Canada have voted overwhelmingly to ratify the group’s first collective agreement with 96.28% membership approval. The employees are members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) and the ratification comes after months of negotiations and maneuvering that resulted in a strike.
WestJet refused to return to negotiations in June when members voted to reject their first tentative agreement and then tried to use the Canadian government to force the agreement into effect. The Minister of Labour and Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) refused WestJet’s appeal and ordered the parties back to the table.
“This agreement is a testament to the tenacity and hard work of the negotiating team and members at WestJet,” said Bret Oestreich, AMFA National President. “It is also a testament to workers' power with a union.”
“Negotiating a first contract with any company tends to be a long and arduous process. In this case, management at WestJet chose to make it even more difficult when they attempted to force a subpar agreement on the membership,” explains Oestreich. “And, to make matters worse, after our members pushed back and rejected the company’s offer, they refused to negotiate, choosing instead to appeal to the highest levels of government. Ultimately, WestJet’s choice led to our members exercising their constitutional right to strike.”
The Union felt that the company’s appeal to force them into binding arbitration was premature. On two separate occasions, the CIRB confirmed the union’s position and allowed the employees to proceed with a strike action. The strike and the subsequent government conciliation services worked to bring both parties back into negotiations and bring the legal strike action to a rapid conclusion.
The new five-year agreement includes wage increases that “reflect the value that these highly skilled Engineers add to the maintenance technical operations by ensuring the airline’s fleet is fit and safe for flight,” said Oestreich. “And our members can take heart that because of this historic agreement, all Canadian AMEs, union or not, will see a positive impact as several airlines are proactively increasing their AME wages.”
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The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association is a craft-oriented, independent aviation union representing licensed Aircraft Maintenance Technicians/Engineers and other unlicensed, skilled trade groups actively involved in the aviation industry. These employees work directly on aircraft and/or components, support equipment, and facilities. AMFA is committed to elevating the professional standing of technicians/engineers and to achieving progressive improvements in wages, benefits, and working conditions of the skilled people it represents. For more information about AMFA visit www.amfanational.org.
