May 26, 2023
By Christine Ross
Details of a tentative deal reached last week show that WestJet pilots are poised to get a 24 per cent pay increase over four years.
A 15.5 percent hourly pay hike this year retroactive to January and 8.5 percent over the remainder of the four-year-deal if ratified by the pilots.
Aviation expert Rick Erickson says the deal marks a new standard for labour negotiations in Canadian aviation, and could also make it tougher for budget airline competitors to retain pilots.
Bargaining came down to the wire last week, with WestJet cancelling more than 230 flights in preparation for job action before a deal was reached hours ahead of the strike deadline Friday morning.
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