pacman007 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:41 pm
So I guess some questions need to be answered now that WestJet owns sunwing.
Where does a new hire go? WestJet or sunwing? Upgrades at WestJet are 10 years and sunwing is 2?
How does Sunwing contract compare other than pay?
What bases will close with sunwing?
When will Sunwing go ALPA?
When a merger takes place how will that affect new hires?
Basically i see no advantage to go to Sunwing if a merger will take place. Or if you get on with sunwing expect no European deployments in the future and upgrade times will quadruple.
Thoughts
First - technically the deal is not signed (although nothing will stop that now)
Sunwing will continue to operate independently as Sunwing - and will have nothing to do with mainline Westjet. Some sort of co-operating will happen with Swoop no doubt, but to what degree is unknow yet. Sunwings fleet is expected to grow to 40 airplanes and operate year round by around 2025 (thats our winter number with the Smartwings and TUI leases. We own 19 now).
Its unkonwn which bases if any will close - although I personally dont really see any closing.
Who knows - at this rate there is some that simply whish to remain with Unifor.
It should not affect new hires.
The deployments will eventually stop this summer is a definite go - next may have limited deployments as this winter (2023-24) we are still taking leases. I dont think upgrades will triple - we will need a lot of hires to operate a double size fleet.
At the end of the day - only the basic operating ways of the new company are known. there are still 1000 little details, each of which could go a dozen different ways. Once the deal is signed between the 2 parties - there is going to be a joint town hall for all employees of both companies to lay out more of what will happen when. I really see no big changes for another12 or more months. Overall - I think this could be really good for Sunwing and that we have more to gain from this than Westjet. We will know more in the coming weeks.