WestJet hopes to fill Swoop jobs internally

WestJet Airlines Ltd.’ s chief executive said the airline hopes to recruit pilots from its mainline and Encore services to fly planes for its new ultra low-cost carrier Swoop, but that it will hire externally if necessary — a move that the company’s new pilots union said it is against.

“I will say, first and foremost, that it is Swoop’s preference to hire as many pilots from WestJet and WestJet Encore as are interested in the career advancement opportunities that Swoop provides,” CEO Gregg Saretsky said in a conference call with analysts after the company reported fourth- quarter results on Tuesday.

“That matter is in the hands of (the Air Line Pilots Association, International). It is a matter that is being discussed at the bargaining table.”

More than 1,400 WestJet pilots joined the Air Line Pilots Association ( ALPA), an international pilots union, after 62 per cent of the 97 per cent of eligible pilots voted in May to unionize.

Saretsky said under WestJet’s existing contract with pilots, which is in place until a new agreement is ratified, there is a provision that will allow those interested in flying for Swoop to take a leave of absence and do so.

Those pilots would still be able to return to WestJet or WestJet Encore after flying Swoop planes, he said.

“If there are an insufficient number of pilots that would like to pass on the opportunity ... we have no shortage of pilot applicants from across the Canadian jet marketplace,” Saretsky said.

But Capt. Rob McFadyen, chairman of the WestJet unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, said the company has “not properly engaged” with the union when it comes to Swoop.

“ALPA has been given a strong mandate from our membership that planes owned by the WestJet company should be flown by WestJet pilots,” he said in an emailed statement to the Financial Post.

“ALPA has been eager and willing to negotiate on this and other important pilot issues, but WestJet has not properly engaged ALPA as the certified representative of the pilots who have helped build this airline over the past 22 years.”

Saretsky said the company wants to maintain one seniority list for all of its pilots, which currently includes both WestJet mainline and Encore.

Wes t Je t r epor t ed ne t earnings of $48.5 million, or 42 cents per diluted share, in the three- month period ending Dec. 31, a 12.2 per cent drop from the same time last year, as operating expenses increased due in part to rising fuel costs as well as incremental increases to staffing. Revenues in the fourth quarter hit $ 1.12 billion, up from $1.02 billion from last year.

Operating expenses increased from $ 3.69 billion last year to $ 4.06 billion in 2017, driven by capacity growth and increased fuel costs.