WJ CEO plea to pilots re:strike vote (video link)

[Invertago]

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comment ... r_dispute/

[montado]

I think he does not tell the whole story, but he’s telling the story to those who are part of the story. Hmmm Westjet pilots does he have all the facts straight? Apparently you are all paid above the standard, and he does not make specific mention of swoop.

What’s starting pay for an FO today if starting pay in 96 was 40k? Oh and stock ownership plan, who the heck starting today would like some Westjet shares! No thanks. I can now see why a strike should be imminent.

[Biff]

This video first came out a couple years ago. Generally referred to as “the angry grandpa video”. I think it was after one of our previous TA’s was voted down.

Especially like the “I know most of you work hard....to some extent” phrase.

Didn’t work then, don’t think rereleasing it will work now.

[goingnowherefast]

Didn't realise WJ was a vacation airline like Sunwing. I always had the impression they were a national
(international?) passenger air service, competing with Air Canada. Where do I book that all inclusive tropical resort in Calgary?

[ant_321]

Didn't realise WJ was a vacation airline like Sunwing. I always had the impression they were a national
(international?) passenger air service, competing with Air Canada. Where do I book that all inclusive tropical resort in Calgary?

And on top of that his numbers aren't even in the ballpark. SWG pilots aren't paid anywhere near 40% less than Westjet pilots.

[confusedalot]

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/air ... an/westjet

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/air ... air_canada

A 737 is about the same size as a 320. Still a bit lower than an AC pay package if you include the pension scheme versus stock options, but not by much. Higher than Sunwing and Transat though.

[DropTanks]

Those payscales are nowhere near accurate.

[flyinhigh]

This is from 2012 when the previous provisions where turned down by the pilot group.

[altiplano]

The AC scales on that site are low.

[TheStig]

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/air ... an/westjet

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/air ... air_canada

A 737 is about the same size as a 320. Still a bit lower than an AC pay package if you include the pension scheme versus stock options, but not by much. Higher than Sunwing and Transat though.

As mentioned those AC scales aren't accurate, also, at AC when you upgrade you carry your years of service to the pay scale. If you upgrade at the 9 year mark, you make 9th year Captain pay. At Westjet if you upgrade at the 9 year mark, you make 1st year Captain pay. That obviously wasn't such a big deal 15 years ago when upgrades were relatively quick.

Problem with these videos is that Pilots talk, or bitch on avcanada, at any rate here is where things stand today (not to say things won't be different tomorrow). A pilot who has been at AC since around the beginning of last year or the end of 2016 if he or she so bid so would be awarded Airbus 320 Captain and be earning $196/hour, could contribute up to 10% of their salary into an ESOP with the company matching 33%, receive profit sharing and receive a pension. That pilot would also benefit from half credit deadheads, a minimum daily credit, a minimum pairing credit based on TAFB and more often than not stay in a nicer hotels. Things at AC are not perfect, and there are lot of areas that should be improved but for WJ pilots it's hard not to see the grass as being greener when it is greener.

Westjets executives have plotted their airlines path away from being a little western Mom and Pop store to playing with the big boys. Saying that the only reason the airline is sustainable is because of below market wages, then saying you're now overpaid (and that executives are under paid, nice touch), is insulting to pilots intelligence and to all the extra effort they've put in to work of their days off, groom airplanes ,buy into all the corporate koolaid and the countless other little things that all add up to success. They are about to have a regional feeder, an airline within an airline and an international wide body operation, not to mention code sharing with one of the worlds largest airlines. The 'you hurt my feeling because you unionized' act needs to stop, any good will evaporated when they posted ads externally for Swoop pilots. They need to realize that you can have engaged and motivated unionized employees. The pilot group can still set the tone, go the extra mile and provide leadership on the flight line. Airline pilots can be an expensive enemy or an invaluable asset.

[atphat]

What’s most interesting to me is the delusion many of the WJ pilots I know live under with regards to their relationship with the company. The Kool-Aid as it were. Well up until recently.

Verbatim quotes said to me over the years. Just a few.
“Well we do it differently here”
“Well I’m actually part of the team”
“Oh you work for XX, you must hate your job then”

Pilots are not special in the eyes of management. We are a cog in a wheel. An annoyance they have to deal with. It’s a business relationship. I could care less what my executives personal opinion is of me. It’s literally not personal, it’s business.

For WJ pilots to be gasping and surprised at the Swoop situation is just strange. Of course that was going to happen. You had no scope. Most WJ pilots would defend it!

Toss the Kool-aid, scope your work, and go fly your block.

[mbav8r]

What’s most interesting to me is the delusion many of the WJ pilots I know live under with regards to their relationship with the company. The Kool-Aid as it were. Well up until recently.

Verbatim quotes said to me over the years. Just a few.
“Well we do it differently here”
“Well I’m actually part of the team”
“Oh you work for XX, you must hate your job then”

Pilots are not special in the eyes of management. We are a cog in a wheel. An annoyance they have to deal with. It’s a business relationship. I could care less what my executives personal opinion is of me. It’s literally not personal, it’s business.

For WJ pilots to be gasping and surprised at the Swoop situation is just strange. Of course that was going to happen. You had no scope. Most WJ pilots would defend it!

Toss the Kool-aid, scope your work, and go fly your block.

Where have you been, they do have scope, very explicit scope which is the main reason the strike vote went the way it did.
Either management figures they have some kind of loophole or Swoop was a bargaining tool all along and they are attempting to use it to get concessions on something the pilots already had, who knows.

[confusedalot]

A few posts up, I posted a couple of airline pilot central links that were quickly shot down as inaccurate.

OK, I'll buy that.

Can anyone on any side of the fence inform us what a 737/A320 driver actually does pull in, pension/profitshare/stock option included? It is very hard for an outsider to even figure out what is going on with all of the smoke and mirrors.

Are we to understand that the top paid airline in canada pays their A320 drivers 300-350-400K?

Are we to understand that westjet pilots only make 250-300-350K?

Are we to made to believe these are inadequate incomes?

Would be nice to hear from a stand up guy who tells it like it is. I never even came close to these kind of incomes, but that was a different time.