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WestJet flight attendants are now on strike · INSIGHT TODAY

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: For more analysis on the negotiations and what comes next.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: We're joined now by Cynthia go Clay. He's a labor
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: lawyer and partner at Erard KU's LLP. Cindee, thanks so
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  Speaker 1: much for making time.
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  Speaker 2: For us today. Thanks for having me, Cynthy.
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  Speaker 1: To the best of your knowledge, what is WestJet offering
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  Speaker 1: the flight attendants and the union and why is the
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  Speaker 1: union rejecting it?
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  Speaker 2: Well, the union qp's in a position right now where
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: they're saying, we want our members to be paid for
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  Speaker 2: all of the time they spend on the ground prior
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  Speaker 2: to wheels up and wheels down in terms of being compensated,
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  Speaker 2: and so they've really dug their heels in, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: they have a clear mandate from their membership to fight
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  Speaker 2: as hard as possible to make sure that the flight
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  Speaker 2: attendants get paid for that work. And that's really the
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  Speaker 2: sticking point right now, Cindy.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe you can help me understand something that I don't see.
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  Speaker 1: How we got to this position. So the labor movement
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  Speaker 1: has been around a lot longer than the aviation industry has.
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  Speaker 1: How did we begin the process where flight attendants were
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  Speaker 1: expected to do work on the ground and not get
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  Speaker 1: paid for it.
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  Speaker 2: Well, airlines like to ensure that they know the exact
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  Speaker 2: costs of what it's going to take to operate a plane.
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  Speaker 2: And part of the challenge that the airlines have is
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  Speaker 2: some of the delays that happened at airports have nothing
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  Speaker 2: to do with them. It could be another airline carrier,
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  Speaker 2: it could be mismanagement at the actual airport. And they're saying, well,
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  Speaker 2: if we're stuck on the runway or on the tarmac,
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  Speaker 2: why is it. Why are we now having to bear
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  Speaker 2: the brunt of the costs for that, And that includes
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  Speaker 2: costs to the airports as well as additional labor costs.
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  Speaker 2: And so they've traditionally liked to take the position that
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  Speaker 2: wheels up, wheels down, that's what they get to control,
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  Speaker 2: and it's entirely in their control. And so their historic
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  Speaker 2: viewpoint has been that's what they want to ensure that
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  Speaker 2: they pay for.
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  Speaker 1: If the flight attendants, on average, we're compensated appropriately for
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  Speaker 1: the work that they do before and after the flight's land,
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  Speaker 1: how much more money are we talking about? How much
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  Speaker 1: more would they earn? Well?
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  Speaker 2: QP has gone public with their analysis to say, you know,
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  Speaker 2: flight attendants are working up to about thirty five hours
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  Speaker 2: a month of unpaid time when you when you factor
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  Speaker 2: in all of those costs. Now that hasn't been verified.
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  Speaker 2: West JEDT has different numbers in terms of what they're
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  Speaker 2: relying upon. But the reality is that there is a
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  Speaker 2: significant amount of time that you know, flight attendants are
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  Speaker 2: stuck on planes, are doing safety checks or you know,
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  Speaker 2: having to deal with some unruly customers during that period
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  Speaker 2: of time when there when the plane's on the ground,
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  Speaker 2: and it's during that period of time that a flight
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  Speaker 2: attendant is simply saying, you know, compensate us for that
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  Speaker 2: period of time.
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  Speaker 1: So how similar is this situation to where we were
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  Speaker 1: almost exactly a year ago with Air Canada.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's deja vu all over again. I think what
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  Speaker 2: QPS taking the position right now is, look, we've been
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  Speaker 2: through this. That issue went to an interest arbitration decision
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  Speaker 2: and in February of this year, an arbitrator decided that
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  Speaker 2: part of that time in terms of the groundwork, ought
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  Speaker 2: to be compensated. And in that decision, the arbitrator ultimately
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  Speaker 2: said flight attendants get paid you know, anywhere between fifty
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  Speaker 2: and up to seventy percent of their hourly rate for
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  Speaker 2: that period of time of up to sixty minutes or
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  Speaker 2: seventy minutes depending on the type of plane. And I
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  Speaker 2: think QP is taking the position that says, look, the
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  Speaker 2: precedent's been set, we want that as well.
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  Speaker 1: In this situation where we find ourselves now the strike
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  Speaker 1: is taking place, the flights are grounded, does either party
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  Speaker 1: have the upper hand?
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  Speaker 2: Not really. I mean qp's made their analysis. I mean
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  Speaker 2: they've been emphatic in terms of their messaging today. We've
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  Speaker 2: heard from QP. They're saying, you know, we wes it
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  Speaker 2: knows what we want. We've made it very clear since
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  Speaker 2: bargaining started. I think the issue right now is going
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  Speaker 2: to be whether or not the federal government intervenes and
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  Speaker 2: forces the parties back to work and allows this matter
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  Speaker 2: to go to interest arbitration like we saw with their Canada.
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  Speaker 2: I think that's the issue right now, and QP wants
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  Speaker 2: to ensure that they maintain their right to strike, and
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  Speaker 2: so they're probably hoping for not government intervention and hopefully
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  Speaker 2: they can. They feel as though they can leverage the
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  Speaker 2: strike to try and ultimately get what they want for
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  Speaker 2: their membership, which is that ground pay to be paid for.
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  Speaker 1: Their Canada strike last year lasted four days. The federal government,
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  Speaker 1: as you mentioned, did get involved. What do you think
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  Speaker 1: with this one? It will it go as long or longer?
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  Speaker 1: Will the government step in?
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  Speaker 2: I think the government's going to allow the parties a
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  Speaker 2: little bit of time for the rest of the day today,
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  Speaker 2: but I would not be surprised if over the next
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  Speaker 2: twenty four hours the federal government starts to tip the
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  Speaker 2: scales a little bit, get involved and put some pressure
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  Speaker 2: on parties before it ultimately exercises discretion to you know,
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  Speaker 2: force the matters back to the Canadian Dustrial Relations Board.
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  Speaker 1: And syntheep with this story, much like Air Canada, there's
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  Speaker 1: this interesting dichotomy for so many people who are affected,
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  Speaker 1: the travelers who've been affected, that two things are true.
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  Speaker 1: At the same time, they're really frustrated that they can't
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  Speaker 1: get on board their flights, but they're deeply empathetic and
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  Speaker 1: supportive of the flight attendants. And so when it comes
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  Speaker 1: to the labor movement, particularly as with your expertise as
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  Speaker 1: a labor lawyer, is this causing an awakening for the
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  Speaker 1: public in terms of how people should be compensated for
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  Speaker 1: their work.
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  Speaker 2: I think it is. I think you're right. The public
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  Speaker 2: does believe that flight attendant should be paid to anyone
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  Speaker 2: who flies, sees the work that they do before and after,
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  Speaker 2: you know, a flight takes off or lands, and ultimately,
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  Speaker 2: you know, scratches their head in terms of why they're
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  Speaker 2: not getting some sort of compensation for that period of time.
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  Speaker 2: I think the challenge right now, of course, is, you know,
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: and people relying on the airlines have lost thousands of
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  Speaker 2: dollars in ancillary costs hotels, tour but guides, that sort
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  Speaker 2: of thing, which you know aren't necessarily covered or addressed
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  Speaker 2: by WestJet itself.
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  Speaker 1: And cyndep I noticed we're speaking to you today from Barcelona, Spain.
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  Speaker 1: Did you take west Jet to get there? I did not,
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  Speaker 1: so you're in good shape then I'm okay right now,
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  Speaker 1: all right, well, thank you so much for your time
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  Speaker 1: and your expertise, and we'll check in with you again.
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  Speaker 1: Have a good trip.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you,