You Asked Us

QUESTIONS FROM WESTJETTERS

QUESTION: If, during lunchtime or before work, I think I have a chance to sign up one of the other employees, can I sign them up on company property?
ANSWER: Yes you can. But make sure it’s on your own time.

QUESTION: Can I talk about Union matters openly with another employees at break, lunch time or before or after work?
ANSWER: Yes. Your right to free speech is protected. However, that right does not entitle you to disturb work operations.

QUESTION: If another employee comes to me during working hours and asks me to sign him or her up in the Union, what should I do?
ANSWER: Tell them you’ll do it after work or at lunch time.

QUESTION: What do unions do?
ANSWER: A union is a group of workers who get together to bargain with their bosses to improve their working conditions. Unions have a vast array of responsibilities:

  • member representation
  • collective bargaining
  • organizing
  • education and training for members
  • political action to change laws that affect workers
  • international solidarity work
  • community building
  • charity work, because making the world a better place is important to us all
  • Unions are in the business of representing their members in their work lives and in the larger world around us all.

QUESTION: What does the IAM have to do with WestJet workers?
ANSWER: At the request of many WestJetters, the IAM has started accepting signed membership cards from you and your co-workers. The IAM is the largest union in the airline sector and at Canadian airports. We have been representing Canadians since 1890, so we know that when workers need good representation, they come to the IAM. We represent 700,000 workers across North America.

QUESTION: Who are other airline and airport workers represented by the IAM?
ANSWER: All across North America, the IAM represents workers in an enormous number of job classifications. These range from Customer Service Agents (CSA), Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME), Pilots, Flight Attendants, Licensed Vehicle Technicians, Millwrights, Screening Officers, groomers, fuelers and many more. We know airlines and airports – and they know us!

QUESTION: Which other airlines does the IAM represent?
ANSWER: We represent many airlines and airline-related companies. Our members are the best in the business and that makes us proud to represent them. Air Canada, Air TransAT, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Air Wisconsin, Bahamasair, El Al, United Airlines, American Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Norwegian Air International/OSM, PSA Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Spirit Airlines. We know airlines – and airlines know us!

QUESTION: What have Unions and the IAM done?

Our first priority is to ensure workers are respected, protected and well-represented in the workplace. Doing this makes their lives outside the workplace a more enjoyable experience

Healthcare – Unions bargained healthcare benefits for their own members, then helped to win a national public healthcare system

Employment Standards – Unions fought to establish minimum wages, work hours, and overtime pay – everything ALL workers benefit from to this day!

Holidays – At one time, workers lost income if they wanted time off – unions bargained for paid holidays and vacations.

Health and Safety – Union pressure and workplace action forced governments to enact laws to protect workers’ health and safety, as well as the safety of the general public.

Unemployment Insurance – the labour movement organized to demand benefits for people who lost their jobs. This benefitted all Canadians.

Paid Maternity Leave – it took strikes in the public sector to win paid maternity leave for women, now part of federal law. Unions worked together to accomplish this.

Human Rights – Union contracts were the first to forbid discrimination in the workplace. We led – and governments followed.


QUESTION: Do company rules control everything?
ANSWER: Yes, at work, but when you belong to the IAM, you will help to negotiate the rules through collective bargaining to ensure a fair workplace environment. This is the power of belonging to a union – the power of belonging to the IAM!

QUESTION: Which Union should I join?
ANSWER: The answer is quite clear – Join the IAM!
We are the largest Union in the airline sector, as well as the largest union at the airport, and we’ve been representing Canadians since 1890. That’s a lot of experience representing our members and their families. We better the lives of our members and, through political action, change the lives of all Canadian workers.

QUESTION: When do I have to start paying dues?
ANSWER: You will not pay dues until a Union contract has been negotiated with the company and accepted by a majority of WestJet workers through a secret ballot.

QUESTION: What is the company’s role and responsibility during negotiations?
ANSWER: The company is required to negotiate with the Union in good faith. The company is also required to sign the contract once it has been ratified by a membership vote.

QUESTION: How does a Union contract give me job security?
ANSWER: Union contract provides job security through language negotiated by the Union and the Employer. That protects you if there are any disciplinary actions and ensures all benefits and wages are enshrined in writing. A Collective Agreement (contract) is a legal document and is legally binding.

QUESTION: Should I be concerned about supporting the Union?
ANSWER: You should support the IAM for all of the reasons mentioned above. It is also illegal for the company to discriminate against you because of your support for the Union or membership in the Union.

QUESTION: How can I sign an IAM Card?
ANSWER: See the IAM Organiser, Sam Jabbar and ask him for an IAM Membership Card, or download it from our website, sign it, and then return it to any of our organisers ALONG WITH $5, which is required by Canadian labour law.

QUESTION: What happens when I sign a card?
ANSWER: Signing an IAM card means you commit yourself to helping your co-workers join together to help ALL to worker under fair and equitable conditions. Signing an IAM card means YOU become part of the team. When you sign an AIM card, it means the IAM commits itself to you and your co-workers, in bargaining a good contract and then seeing the contract is respected. We further commit to giving you all the training you need to manage your own affairs.

QUESTION: What happens once we join the union?
ANSWER: Once you join, the IAM will send out a Bargaining Survey that asks all members to list the work-related issues important to them (e.g. wages, shift schedule, hours of work, vacation, pensions, and many more). Once all members have returned the surveys, we will compile a list of YOUR priorities and start the bargaining process by forming a Negotiations Committee.

QUESTION: Who sits on the Negotiations Committee?
ANSWER: YOU will decide which of your co-workers will represent you at the bargaining table. You will select those who you feel are passionate and qualified. Those members, as well as representatives from the IAM will represent you at the Negotiations table.

QUESTION: Where does the Bargaining Committee get their training?
ANSWER: The Committee with be trained by our certified IAM instructors at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center (W3C) in southern Maryland. Every year, we train our members in some of the most intensive union courses available. Our W3C is the very best in the whole labour movement. They will be trained for a week and can return and represent WestJetters at Bargaining. The training you receive can also count towards a university degree (ask your representative about the Bachelor’s and Masters Degree programs).

QUESTION: What happens after our Bargaining Committee and the company agree?
ANSWER: Once both sides have agreed to the terms of the contract, the Committee will bring back the proposed deal to YOU, the membership. They will explain the terms and then you will vote on whether to accept or decline the contract.

QUESTION: Do we get to vote on our contract?
ANSWER: Yes, YOU vote on your contract because the issues your Bargaining Committee took to the Employer are YOUR issues. You vote on what your Committee brings back.

QUESTION: Why does the Employer say nasty things about the IAM?
ANSWER: All employers want to have complete control over their workers. WE DISAGREE! The IAM wants a workplace where all workers are treated fairly and respectfully. That’s why we negotiate a contract that governs our work lives. Employers like to paint us like we are out of a Hollywood movie – goons and other such stereotypes. The truth is that we level the playing field when it comes to fairness and equal treatment. Favouritism (particularly around shift schedules) becomes a thing of the past, as well as guarantees around working conditions, wages and benefits. We bargain for YOUR issues.

QUESTION: Are unions just another business, like the boss says?
ANSWER: The IAM is an insurance policy against unfair treatment and favouritism. Joining the IAM means YOU play a role in democratizing your workplace. Profit margins and bottom lines are for those who don’t care about human beings. The IAM cares about worker justice and because we do, we oblige the employer to also care.