WestJet, founded in 1996, is a company of more than 9,000 employees flying one of the youngest fleets of Boeing 737s to over 80 destinations.

Although employees at WestJet are not unionized, the organization conducts interest-based bargaining with several of its work groups to collaboratively determine working conditions and wages. Because these groups are not unionized there is no threat of strike, lockout or binding arbitration when the two sides cannot agree, but at the moment, there is no agreed upon method to address impasse.

HNMCP students will review the process and outcome of WestJet’s recent pilot negotiations to draw out lessons that might inform upcoming negotiations with flight attendants in an effort to improve how WestJet and employees work together and generate high-value, mutually satisfactory options. Students will conduct a stakeholder analysis for the Flight Attendant negotiations to identify areas of conflict and overlapping interests and how to leverage them into high-value options for an agreement that could enjoy broad buy-in among stakeholders.

Deliverables envisioned:

A final report capturing:

• Stakeholder analysis of current negotiations with Flight Attendants to identify underlying interests and areas of conflict and overlap;
• Lessons from our recent Pilot Agreement negotiations, including what worked well, what was missing, and what can be improve going forward;
• Broad recommendations for negotiations going forward (including, but not limited to, thoughts on substance, processes, and information flow).

Field Visit