It would appear the Canadian Union of Public Employees will represent flight attendants at WestJet as the unionization of the airline continues. CUPE has filed an application with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to represent the employees, saying the majority have signed union cards. The unionization would affect all WestJet attendants and all those working for Swoop, the ultra low cost carrier that WestJet launched three weeks ago. The flight attendants are the second employee group to unionize and the process has been turbulent with the first go around.
The airline still hasn’t settled a first contract with its pilots yet and although the threat of a strike has been eliminated, the prospect of job action in late May shook the airline. The pilots are represented by the Airline Pilots Association and after coming to the brink of a walkout just after the Victoria Day weekend, the two sides agreed to mediation followed by binding arbitration if necessary. WestJet saw a steep decline in bookings when the strike notice was issued.