The WestJet Group said it has reached a "tentative" deal with WestJet and Swoop pilots for a second collective bargaining agreement.
The announcement, made in the early hours of May 19, came as the pilots were preparing to go on strike and after the carrier had announced the reduction of its network.
WestJet said the agreement means it is "ramping up its operations as quickly and efficiently as possible". However, it warned that "the full resumption of operations will take time", telling passengers to check the status of flights before going to an airport.
"The WestJet Group is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that is industry-leading within Canada and recognises the important contributions of our valued pilots by providing meaningful improvements to job security and scope, working conditions and wages," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, chief executive .
"We appreciate we were able to arrive at a deal, however, recognise the impact on our guests and we sincerely appreciate their patience during this time. We are pleased to now return our focus to providing friendly, reliable and affordable air service to Canadians for years to come," von Hoensbroech said.
The Air Line Pilots Int'l (ALPA) union, which represented the pilots, issued a statement about the deal shortly before the airline.
“After months of tough negotiations with management, we are pleased to announce a[n] agreement-in-principle that goes a long way to recognising the value and expertise we bring to our airline every day,” said Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the WestJet ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC).
This contract will also help solve many of WestJet’s pilot attraction and retention issues, benefiting everyone involved from our company to our passengers and fellow employees," Lewall added.
The pilots' union said the agreement came after nine months of talks and followed having a "first arbitrated contract forced upon them in 2018", which they said left them falling "even further behind their North American counterparts with regard to critical contract provisions, including job protections, career advancement, compensation, and scheduling flexibility".
The contract agreed on May 18/19 "delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work/life balance consistent with collective agreements other ALPA-represented pilot groups are signing with their employers," the pilots said.
Both sides said the deal will be put to their memberships to be voted on over the coming days.