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“It might tip more pilots to vote yes,” Camfield said. “It all needs to be put in the context of what is happening in the broader industry … And I think in general there are concerns about deteriorating conditions for pilots. It’s not just about wages; it’s about schedules and all kinds of other things.”

AltaCorp Capital analyst Chris Murray said he thinks there is a market for an ultra-low-cost carrier in Canada, but for WestJet to be successful, it won’t be able to stick to the status quo.

“I would expect a different wage scale, maybe not a lower wage scale, but probably very different work rules,” Murray said. “There’s probably a lot of confusion and concern (among employees) about the changes this may mean for WestJet. And that’s a very fair reaction you would expect. Having said that, I still think this probably strategically one of WestJet’s better ideas.”

In an email, WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart said the airline would not speculate as to what factors could impact the upcoming pilot unionization vote. But she said the company’s plan to launch an ultra-low-cost carrier is dependent on getting the go-ahead from its pilots, who are currently represented by an employer-sanctioned, in-house employee group.

“We are currently looking at how best to deliver our ULCC mandate and will be consulting with the WestJet Pilot Association (WJPA) to determine the most suitable path forward,” Stewart said.

The upcoming vote marks the second formal unionization attempt in two years at WestJet. Pilots voted ‘no’ to union representation in 2015.

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