Calgary-based WestJet is considering whether to use temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to fly its planes.
In a statement, spokesperson Julia Kaiser told CBC News the airline is exploring the labour market impact assessment (LMIA) process as one of “multiple avenues” to meet a shortage of WestJet Encore captains.
The LMIA is essentially a piece of paperwork that a business needs to take part in the federal TFW program, to prove that there are no local workers available to take a job.
The union representing pilots at the airline says it wasn’t consulted by either the WestJet or the federal government about the move.
“This application should never have been made,” said Capt. Tim Perry, president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Canada.
WestJet has already received federal approval to hire through the TFW program, the union said. Neither the airline nor Employment and Social Development Canada have confirmed those details to CBC News.
Perry said the union has no problems with permanent immigration or with hiring newcomers, but objects to the airline’s use of the TFW program in particular.
If WestJet has a problem attracting enough pilots, he said, it should work on improving its collective agreement, rather than looking abroad for a source of temporary labour.
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‘Short-circuiting’ the hiring process
Aviation expert John Gradek said there is a pilot shortage both in Canada and around the world. It stems from the COVID-19 pandemic when the whole industry was put on hold, he said.
In his view, the TFW program is not the way for the airline to address its staffing issues.
“WestJet is trying to short-circuit the process of hiring Canadian pilots,” said Gradek, who is a faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University.
“This is not the way we basically look at hiring high-quality, good-paying, very demanding pilot jobs in Canada.”
So far, WestJet says it has not yet hired any workers through the TFW program.
Perry said he is also frustrated the union has not received any overtures from the federal government. If WestJet hopes to use the federal TFW program, which is intended for instances where no domestic workers are available, Perry said he thinks a government worker should invite the union to weigh in about whether this is the case.
“In our view, our collective bargaining rights have been absolutely undermined in this case by the government,” said Perry.
In response to questions from CBC News, a spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said it couldn’t speak to the situation for privacy reasons.
The spokesperson pointed to an online database with information about employers that have received approval to hire temporary foreign workers, though it has not yet been updated with information about approvals in 2025.