WestJet pilots vote in favour of strike mandate, could walk before May long weekend

The union representing WestJet pilots voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate Tuesday, casting clouds of uncertainty over Canadians' travel plans. The Air Line Pilots Association said its 1,600 WestJet pilots can launch a strike as early as May 16 — the Tuesday ahead of the May long weekend, which typically kicks off the summer travel season for thousands whose itineraries could now be upended. The workers' issues revolve around job protection, pay and scheduling at the airline and its discount subsidiary Swoop, said Bernard Lewall, who heads the union's WestJet contingent. "If you're trying to attract new pilots or retain the experienced ones that we have, there's got to be some definition of a career path for them. And because there's three different airlines under the umbrella of WestJet flying the same airplanes, all with different wages and working conditions, there really isn't that defined career path," he said in a phone interview from Calgary. "It is no longer a career destination." Some 240 pilots left the carrier last year, followed by about 100 so far this year, most of them to other airlines, he said. Around 95% of pilots took part in the strike vote, with 93% of them in favour of the mandate. Pilots could also opt for more restrained job action such as refusal to work overtime, Lewall noted. WestJet COO Diederik Pen said in a statement that strike authorization is a "common step" by unions during labour negotiations and "does not mean a strike will occur."<br/>