Hello. I am an FO on an 737NG at WestJet in Canada. We are currently being courted by ALPA and word on the street is we may be signing cards shortly. WestJet also 100% owns its regional connector airline, Encore, who fly Q400's. I worked at Encore on the Q for about 2 years from just after they started.

WestJet and Encore are both non-unionized and about 2 years ago, due to a problem getting new pilots at Encore (low pay), the pilots at Encore and WestJet agreed to a policy whereby there is basically one seniority list. When you leave Encore and are hired at WestJet, you keep your Encore DOH for the purpose of upgrade and base bidding (we don't have seniority schedule bidding). Now that ALPA is sniffing around, I am worried that our first CBA and the associated seniority list will have me listed by by more recent WestJet DOH (2016) and not my earlier Encore DOH (2014). ALPA says it's up to we WestJet pilots to decide, if we certify. Encore will not be part of this bargaining unit as they are a separate company. Except that we already have this joint list.

My questions to the JetBlue pilots: how long was it before you had a seniority list agreed to with the company (I know you don't have a CBA yet)? Was it exactly the same as what was in place before ALPA certified the pilots? Were there any changes or problems in setting up this first list? I think that's all I can ask right now because our issues are so unique in the industry. AFAIK every other regional pilot goes to the BOTL when they go to mainline.

Thanks,

NoQ

our list did not change

We've always been one company. It's all JetBlue a320 or e190. One list regardless of equipment...all based on seniority DOH.

Most guys get hired to the 190... really really good pilots get hired to the 320.

After 10yrs on the 190 you can interview to fly the 320.

Then your on the list.

Thanks xbrit and bluepilot. I didn't think there was much of relevance in what you guys have compared to us, but you've certified with ALPA and are still negotiating your first CBA so I gave it a shot.

Our first seniority list, if we respect our current joint list will have to be DOH at WestJet for all the pilots hired from 1996 to 2014 and then the list becomes a mix of DOH at WestJet and DOH at Encore. Most are okay with this. Some guys at mainline will have (and do have) regional pilots above them who have been at WestJet for less time, which is not normal, but ALPA organizers here say we can keep it that way if we all agree.

The problem then becomes what do we do about the future? Can the Encore guys continue to jump onto the mainline seniority list ahead of guys already at WestJet but were hired off the street. ALPA says we can do that too.

The only relevant case I can think of was Continental and Continental Express. Both groups were represented by IACP as one collective group and then when ALPA came, they had to become separate MECs. There've been changes to how the flowthrough worked then and I wasn't around for it so can't speak in detail. I know even today at United there are people with early dates of hire for longevity and benefits but junior to people hired at CAL after them.

I had some bad landings on the 320 so they sent me to the 190
:-)

Well Barney is on the bus so I guess they dropped the psyc evaluation

This is really just a question of politics and campaigning should the company become alpa represented. What I mean is that if you want to keep it one way, you will have to get involved and make it happen. For example our previous non union representation had representatives for each seniority block not bases like alpa usually does. Alpa said we could set it up that way if we wanted but for simplicity or legality they set it up as their usual bases system initially and said we could change it later. Two and a half years later there has been no push to change. If you have a dog in the fight(and it sounds like you do) you'll need to get involved. Get in on the ground floor, get involved with the organizing committee if there is one, and run for office from the beginning.

he was hired before the 190 preferential interview process was signed into the PEA's.