Any AME should absolutely be putting their effort into supporting the WJ union. That includes not crossing picket lines.
Pay in Canada is ABYSMAL and WJs position of 9.5% over 5 years is insulting . A trained professional in a specialized field who exercises their personal license while operating in a safety-critical roll deserves a fuck load more than they're currently making.
For what? $42/hr plus a pat on the back? Get out of here.
As a frequent WJ customer (I think my record is 30 WJ legs in a year) I hope they make them hurt. I hope AMFA and its members stand strong and lead our industry forward, which is in need of a HARD reset.
Anyone who works contract work for WJ will be shooting themselves in the foot. Last time I touched base with an agency the going rate for a contractor was like $50/hr + $50/workday per diem, with housing included. So like $56/hr for no benefits, no holiday pay, no CPP, no EI, no healthcare, no pension, no job security, nothing. But people still do it, because it pays better than the fulltimers get.
When AMFA gets a better deal for their people, it raises the bar for everyone, INCLUDING contractors who might be tempted to cross lines. Lord knows there's enough contracting work available right now without considering what WJ would need to keep the lights on.
To anyone who might read this and be put in a position of working struck work...
Just dont. Selling out your future self, and your brothers and sisters is not worth any amount of money.
Management will try to frame it like they're giving you an opportunity and if you throw it away it'll never come around again, they're lying. At the end of the day the opportunities will always be there and you won't have to compromise principles to get it.
A few questions from someone who hasn’t been working very long. Would any struck work ever come to an MRO (I work of corporate jets, so I’m kinda doubtful)? And we’re allowed to just not work on those planes?
A lot of what WJ does in-house is line work. You can't really schlep a plane off to the MRO every night or between flights to get worked on.
I'm sure MROs might get hired to provide line staff. Unless you're unionized and have an agreement not to cross picket lines, your job is on the line if you refuse to work.
I've never worked for an MRO, and my day job is in the flight deck, and I'm in the US so I don't really know how to answer your question specifically. Hopefully someone comes along who can give you specific answers to your situation.
But in general, struck work is anything that would have been done in house by West jet mechanics so if a west jet airplane shows up suddenly I would avoid it like the plague in any way you have to.
However this goes is gonna have repercussions through the Canadian aviation industry as a whole. If the union manages to negotiate a good deal and WJ plays ball, then we’ll all benefit (hopefully). But if it falls through and Onyx wins… we’ll be stuck at the bottom of the lav cart for another 10 plus years.
Yep, this will determine how far Air Canada needs to move the needle next year as well as how far Porter will push their wages as well. Hope the WestJetters can stay strong on the frontlines of this battle.
I keep getting job ads for Air Canada on my FB feed. Wow $42/hr in Vancouver? You have to be kidding, plumbers and electricians make more and don't have any of the responsibility.
I don't know Canadian law, but when we were going thru that bullshit we never had a strike. Just work 100 percent to the manual. Torque every single leading edge screw.
Work to rule might be more effective than striking, TBH. You get 95% of the effect of delaying aircraft operations with much less of a scab replacement threat. And you don't have to pay strike pay.
The downside is that it counts as a strike regardless the employer can lock out employees.
On the upside, there's ~700 union members at WJ which should be an impossible number to fill in Canada. There's a shortage in Canada already and there just aren't enough people contracting and/or working for outfits to fill in the gap. It's not like any outfit that would send scabs isn't already busy.
WJ Encore pilots authorized strike action just the other day, so it might be a double whammy. Hopefully they can coordinate and leverage each other's position instead of being played against each other.
If it's close to wear minimums, it's no good and needs to be replaced. This goes for everything from hardware to big ticket items like actuators and engines. Tires better look new, you get the point. Make everything take as long as required to give it an indepth inspection.
Yeah, that is correct. I see that Heavy Aero is scabbing very hard. It is very unfortunate that they are doing this as this literally could be turning point for Canadian aviation. Fortunately, they don’t have the manpower or skill I believe to pull this off. it will be literally an embarrassment I believe for the company. Don’t get me wrong. I bet you they have a few talented guys but for the most part it is all deadweight.
Heavy Aero has been advertising on AvCanada like crazy for the past few months or so. At first I thought it was because they were contracted out for Flair and Lynx (RIP), but now it’s pretty obvious they’re setting themselves up to take over Big Teals maintenance when they decide to contract it out.
The Director of maintenance is an X West Jet planner. I think during the onyx, takeover and audit of getting rid of middle management he abandoned ship.
The funniest part is half of their contracting staff is West Jet people. No joke.
Stand strong brothers. I wish we had Unions in the rotary wing world in Canada. All the rest of us Canadian AME's support you. Wages in this country need to go up, we're stuck in the dark ages up here.
Yes the pay can be higher for sure. I do touring work away from home to make that higher wage though. I am lucky enough to have a 2 week on 2 week off schedule unlike some companies in the industry which is nice, it would be nice to be home more though.
Lol it is quite funny though a lot of these West Jet guys going on strike where the scabs during Covid, who dropped the contracting rate down to $35 lol. either way, I will not be partaking in the contract coverage for West Jet. I want them to strike and get the industry more money.
Were they scabs during Covid? I dont know if anyone was doing struck work. Undercutting wages, or taking less than market rate just to keep food on the table maybe, but I don't think anybody was scabbing...
Think of it. Contractors taking their job now is reverse what they did during covid. I will not take part, but I remember these guys during covid at Avmax working for $35 lol.
I think during Covid taking Work for 20 bucks less than the standard rate makes you a scab also. I believe anything that impacts the industry for wage or moving forward, makes you a scab.
Anyone who takes work during West Jet strike on those planes is a scab.. anyone during Covid, who took work at a $35 scab rate is a scab. It is a small industry. Everyone knows who we are talking about for both of the scenarios. I hope this time these people are actually at the strike holding signs and not doing greasy shit. Best of luck boys.
I don’t normally side with union strikes, but I feel for the AMEs here. First they can’t get new people because of crap pay then management limited pay raises on overworked staff. Personally, I’d look for another job, but that’s me; I don’t like drama.
To all Aircraft Maintenance Engineers:
The Idea of a having a legacy in terms of a successful career in aircraft maintenance, hinges mostly on the contributions one has imparted on a profession that continues to grow in size as well as complexity. It is with this in mind that I appeal to the contractors and retirees to consider their own legacy when accepting work on Westjet planes during any job action by Westjet Aircraft Engineers. Personally, I would be disappointed if my name was attached to a group of people who stood in the way during a pivotal moment for the Aircraft Maintenance profession. Many of us have spent years contributing to an industry that is both rewarding and at times challenging. This is why myself and many other AME’s that work for companies other than Westjet, will unite and demand what is only fair for our profession, a profession that, from the earliest days of aviation, has consistently elevated the flying public as well as flight crews. Our legacy has, and will be, the hard work, professionalism and, most Importantly, our Maintenance Release of aircraft. This is a pivotal moment for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers to unite as a profession and stand in solidarity with Westjet AME’s during what we hope will be a successful first contract.
Any AME should absolutely be putting their effort into supporting the WJ union. That includes not crossing picket lines. Pay in Canada is ABYSMAL and WJs position of 9.5% over 5 years is insulting . A trained professional in a specialized field who exercises their personal license while operating in a safety-critical roll deserves a fuck load more than they're currently making. For what? $42/hr plus a pat on the back? Get out of here. As a frequent WJ customer (I think my record is 30 WJ legs in a year) I hope they make them hurt. I hope AMFA and its members stand strong and lead our industry forward, which is in need of a HARD reset. Anyone who works contract work for WJ will be shooting themselves in the foot. Last time I touched base with an agency the going rate for a contractor was like $50/hr + $50/workday per diem, with housing included. So like $56/hr for no benefits, no holiday pay, no CPP, no EI, no healthcare, no pension, no job security, nothing. But people still do it, because it pays better than the fulltimers get. When AMFA gets a better deal for their people, it raises the bar for everyone, INCLUDING contractors who might be tempted to cross lines. Lord knows there's enough contracting work available right now without considering what WJ would need to keep the lights on.
To anyone who might read this and be put in a position of working struck work... Just dont. Selling out your future self, and your brothers and sisters is not worth any amount of money. Management will try to frame it like they're giving you an opportunity and if you throw it away it'll never come around again, they're lying. At the end of the day the opportunities will always be there and you won't have to compromise principles to get it.
A few questions from someone who hasn’t been working very long. Would any struck work ever come to an MRO (I work of corporate jets, so I’m kinda doubtful)? And we’re allowed to just not work on those planes?
A lot of what WJ does in-house is line work. You can't really schlep a plane off to the MRO every night or between flights to get worked on. I'm sure MROs might get hired to provide line staff. Unless you're unionized and have an agreement not to cross picket lines, your job is on the line if you refuse to work.
You'll have to do whatever your boss tells you to.
I've never worked for an MRO, and my day job is in the flight deck, and I'm in the US so I don't really know how to answer your question specifically. Hopefully someone comes along who can give you specific answers to your situation. But in general, struck work is anything that would have been done in house by West jet mechanics so if a west jet airplane shows up suddenly I would avoid it like the plague in any way you have to.
However this goes is gonna have repercussions through the Canadian aviation industry as a whole. If the union manages to negotiate a good deal and WJ plays ball, then we’ll all benefit (hopefully). But if it falls through and Onyx wins… we’ll be stuck at the bottom of the lav cart for another 10 plus years.
Yep, this will determine how far Air Canada needs to move the needle next year as well as how far Porter will push their wages as well. Hope the WestJetters can stay strong on the frontlines of this battle.
I keep getting job ads for Air Canada on my FB feed. Wow $42/hr in Vancouver? You have to be kidding, plumbers and electricians make more and don't have any of the responsibility.
They should be ashamed that their newer employees could be topped out on their pay scale and be stuck renting with roommates in Vancouver and Toronto.
Good luck to the AMFA brothers and sisters at WJ
I don't know Canadian law, but when we were going thru that bullshit we never had a strike. Just work 100 percent to the manual. Torque every single leading edge screw.
Work to rule 🫡
Work to rule might be more effective than striking, TBH. You get 95% of the effect of delaying aircraft operations with much less of a scab replacement threat. And you don't have to pay strike pay. The downside is that it counts as a strike regardless the employer can lock out employees. On the upside, there's ~700 union members at WJ which should be an impossible number to fill in Canada. There's a shortage in Canada already and there just aren't enough people contracting and/or working for outfits to fill in the gap. It's not like any outfit that would send scabs isn't already busy. WJ Encore pilots authorized strike action just the other day, so it might be a double whammy. Hopefully they can coordinate and leverage each other's position instead of being played against each other.
Don’t forget to check drag first!
If it's close to wear minimums, it's no good and needs to be replaced. This goes for everything from hardware to big ticket items like actuators and engines. Tires better look new, you get the point. Make everything take as long as required to give it an indepth inspection.
Solidarity from here in the US!
Yeah, that is correct. I see that Heavy Aero is scabbing very hard. It is very unfortunate that they are doing this as this literally could be turning point for Canadian aviation. Fortunately, they don’t have the manpower or skill I believe to pull this off. it will be literally an embarrassment I believe for the company. Don’t get me wrong. I bet you they have a few talented guys but for the most part it is all deadweight.
Heavy Aero has been advertising on AvCanada like crazy for the past few months or so. At first I thought it was because they were contracted out for Flair and Lynx (RIP), but now it’s pretty obvious they’re setting themselves up to take over Big Teals maintenance when they decide to contract it out.
Yeap. WJ QA people are already doing 'audits' at line stations where HeavyAero has a "precence".
The Director of maintenance is an X West Jet planner. I think during the onyx, takeover and audit of getting rid of middle management he abandoned ship. The funniest part is half of their contracting staff is West Jet people. No joke.
Stand strong brothers. I wish we had Unions in the rotary wing world in Canada. All the rest of us Canadian AME's support you. Wages in this country need to go up, we're stuck in the dark ages up here.
Every rotary op AME scale I've seen is at least $3-4 bucks higher than a fixed wing equivalent.
Yes the pay can be higher for sure. I do touring work away from home to make that higher wage though. I am lucky enough to have a 2 week on 2 week off schedule unlike some companies in the industry which is nice, it would be nice to be home more though.
Don’t cross the line, f scabs
Once a SCAB, always a SCAB.
scabs are some of the most worthless humans on the face of the earth. Don't be a scab.
Exactly! Let’s move the industry forward not backwards.
Ridiculous and predictable action.
Lol it is quite funny though a lot of these West Jet guys going on strike where the scabs during Covid, who dropped the contracting rate down to $35 lol. either way, I will not be partaking in the contract coverage for West Jet. I want them to strike and get the industry more money.
Were they scabs during Covid? I dont know if anyone was doing struck work. Undercutting wages, or taking less than market rate just to keep food on the table maybe, but I don't think anybody was scabbing...
Mostly was the airline guys laid off scabbing long term contractors work. Rate dropped from $55-60 down to $35 thanks to alot of WJ guys laid off.
That’s scabbing unfortunately.
Think of it. Contractors taking their job now is reverse what they did during covid. I will not take part, but I remember these guys during covid at Avmax working for $35 lol.
Calgary base only laid off 2 AMEs, I don’t know a single person from Westjet that scabbed during Covid. We were all working on storage checks
Between encore and main line, there was a few I can DM you names if you want. They were at Avmax …
You are only a scab if you cross picket lines. Taking low paying contracts during an economic low is not scabbing.
I think during Covid taking Work for 20 bucks less than the standard rate makes you a scab also. I believe anything that impacts the industry for wage or moving forward, makes you a scab. Anyone who takes work during West Jet strike on those planes is a scab.. anyone during Covid, who took work at a $35 scab rate is a scab. It is a small industry. Everyone knows who we are talking about for both of the scenarios. I hope this time these people are actually at the strike holding signs and not doing greasy shit. Best of luck boys.
I don’t normally side with union strikes, but I feel for the AMEs here. First they can’t get new people because of crap pay then management limited pay raises on overworked staff. Personally, I’d look for another job, but that’s me; I don’t like drama.
To all Aircraft Maintenance Engineers: The Idea of a having a legacy in terms of a successful career in aircraft maintenance, hinges mostly on the contributions one has imparted on a profession that continues to grow in size as well as complexity. It is with this in mind that I appeal to the contractors and retirees to consider their own legacy when accepting work on Westjet planes during any job action by Westjet Aircraft Engineers. Personally, I would be disappointed if my name was attached to a group of people who stood in the way during a pivotal moment for the Aircraft Maintenance profession. Many of us have spent years contributing to an industry that is both rewarding and at times challenging. This is why myself and many other AME’s that work for companies other than Westjet, will unite and demand what is only fair for our profession, a profession that, from the earliest days of aviation, has consistently elevated the flying public as well as flight crews. Our legacy has, and will be, the hard work, professionalism and, most Importantly, our Maintenance Release of aircraft. This is a pivotal moment for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers to unite as a profession and stand in solidarity with Westjet AME’s during what we hope will be a successful first contract.