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Unifor Local 531 has filed a Step 2 Policy Grievance in direct response to the Company’s recent announcement that, effective October 1, 2025, any time spent on layoff or approved leave—including maternity/parental leave, sick leave, or other legislative leaves—will no longer count toward retirement eligibility.
This change is buried in a broader announcement about employee travel benefit enhancements, yet the impact of this policy shift is severe and deeply concerning.
As your Union President, I want to express my deep concern and strong objection to this regressive decision. Denying retirement service credit for protected leave is not only unjust and step backwards for equality, it is discriminatory.
Who Is Affected?
This policy disproportionately impacts:
- Women, who are statistically more likely to take maternity or parental leave.
- Employees with disabilities or long-term health concerns, who rely on medical leave to recover or manage chronic conditions.
In other words, this policy punishes people for:
- Having children
- Getting sick
- Having a disability
- Needing time to care for family
This is not acceptable.
What the Law Says
Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of sex (which includes pregnancy and childbirth) and disability. By excluding maternity, parental, and medical leaves from retirement accrual, the Company is creating systemic barriers for employees who already face workplace and societal inequality.
Summary of the Union's Grievance Filing
Filed on July 24, 2025 by President, Karen Berry, the grievance challenges the Company’s updated policy on retirement travel benefit eligibility, specifically:
“Years of service towards retirement eligibility will not include any periods in which employees are on layoff status and/or on any leave of absence, including all medical and legislative leaves (such as maternity and parental leave).”
Unifor Local 531 is asserting that this policy:
- Violates the Canadian Human Rights Act, under the protected grounds of sex and disability
- Creates inequity by penalizing those who take legally protected and medically necessary leaves
- Sends a message that family, caregiving, and illness are liabilities, not life realities
What the Union Is Demanding
That the company immediately rescind the years of service policy change announced for October 1, 2025 and that that all periods of approved leave, including medical, maternity, parental, and other legislative leaves, continue to count toward retirement service eligibility for travel privileges, without restriction.
Transparency Matters
Even more troubling is how this change was announced. Instead of issuing a standalone communication, the Company embedded the retirement policy change within a seemingly positive update about travel benefits. Many employees have told us they didn’t even notice the change, which was likely the intention. This lack of transparency signals a clear disregard for open, fair communication, and undermines trust in leadership.
What Happens Next?
- A grievance hearing date will be set in the next 14 days
- Unifor Local 531 will engaging legal experts at Unifor National
- Consultation with other WestJet unions
This is not just about travel benefits or retirement. It’s about the values the union holds strong - equity, dignity, and respect. And it’s about protecting our most vulnerable from regressive policies that have no place in a modern, inclusive workplace.