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Flight attendants air frustrations

ctvcalgary.ca

Westjet is celebrating record earnings just as labour strife threatens its busy summer season.

Internal documents show new hires can't expect the same perks that have set the airline apart from its competitors.

Flight attendants are outraged that the company plans to reduce the starting pay scale for new in-flight staff by as much as 10 percent per year.

Media outlets received an anonymous letter on Tuesday that warned of sick-outs by flight attendants and a threat to unionize.

The letter was signed "Your flight attendants."

An internal email obtained by CTV News, sent to WestJet flight attendants confirms the wages for new hires will be reduced to fall in line with industry standards.

The email reads, "flight attendant pay rates were higher than market and will be transitioned to market over time."

Westjet CEO Gregg Saretsky says many flight attendants misunderstood this year's pay scale review.

"The communication wasn't as clear as it could have been resulting in some employees thinking they were taking pay cuts. There are no pay cuts for any Westjet employees," said Saretsky.

An internal employee message board shows the concern goes deeper than current staff wages.

One post says: "Do not compare us to other non-existent companies that fly 737s from Canada to the Caribbean and back in the same day or across the country with 5 stops on the same day.'

Another reads: "Westjet is going in the wrong direction if they want employee loyalty."

Saretsky says that no current flight attendants will have their pay reduced and that they will receive a record setting profit sharing cheque toward the end of the month.