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Under the Pay Equity Act, federally regulated employers like WestJet were required to establish and post a Pay Equity Plan by September 3, 2024. That deadline has passed and the work has still not properly begun.
What Happened
In May 2024, WestJet formally convened a Pay Equity Committee, just four months before the legislated deadline. From the outset, the Company attempted to exclude union representatives, including elected leaders, claiming their involvement in collective bargaining created a conflict.
The unions successfully challenged that position with the Federal Pay Equity Commissioner.
However, before meaningful work could begin, WestJet attempted to impose extremely restrictive Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) as a condition of participation. These NDAs would have:
- Prevented us from speaking with our members about the process
- Prevented us from seeking support and guidance from our National Union Pay Equity specialists and lawyers.
- Required confidentiality over information already in the public domain.
- Imposed personal legal risk on each individual union representatives by participating in a legislated process
- Effectively silenced elected union representatives.
We refused to sign agreements that contradicted the intent of the Act, which is built on transparency, fairness, and meaningful employee representation.
WestJet then proceeded to ban all seven unionized groups from the Pay Equity Committee. The Committee, made up of management and non-union employees, met approximately 17 times without union participation and completed significant work required under the legislation, all without your voice being heard.
The Complaint and the Commissioner’s Decision
On June 21, 2024, Unifor, along with ALPA, CUPE, AMFA, IAM and CALDA, filed a formal complaint under subsection 150(3) of the Pay Equity Act alleging that WestJet acted in bad faith.
The Pay Equity Commissioner reviewed the matter and issued a decision in December 2025, ruling clearly in the unions’ favour.
The Commissioner found that:
- WestJet acted in bad faith by requiring union representatives to sign an NDA as a condition of participation.
- The Company improperly barred union representatives from participating on the Committee.
- WestJet’s conduct fell short of what is expected of an employer of its character.
The Commissioner ordered WestJet to:
- Cease acting in bad faith
- Stop requiring NDAs
- Allow union representatives to participate on the Committee
This was a decisive and significant ruling.
WestJet’s Appeal and Further Delay
Rather than comply and move forward, WestJet filed an appeal with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on January 13, 2026, seeking to overturn the finding that it acted in bad faith and to rescind the Order.
The seven unions filed our formal response to that appeal last week.
This appeal once again delays an already overdue process and withholds fair compensation from thousands of workers. The Pay Equity Plan was legally required to be in place by September 3, 2024. Instead, we remain stalled because of the Company’s decision to litigate rather than comply.
The Pay Equity Act is not optional. It is a legal obligation.
Why Pay Equity Matters
Pay equity exists because historically, work predominantly performed by women was undervalued and underpaid even when it required comparable skill, responsibility, and effort.
In aviation, many frontline airport roles have traditionally been female-dominated and undervalued. While today’s workforce is diverse and inclusive of all genders and identities, the historic undervaluation of this work still matters. The Act requires employers to proactively examine and correct those inequities.
Thousands of WestJet workers stand to benefit from a fair and transparent pay equity process but only if the Company takes its obligations seriously.
What’s Next
The appeal process will now proceed before the Tribunal. While that unfolds, the unions remain ready to engage immediately in a lawful, transparent, and compliant Pay Equity process.
We are deeply disappointed by WestJet’s continued efforts to stall progress.
Pay equity is about fairness, respect and correcting long-standing pay gaps
We will continue to push forward and we will continue to keep you informed every step of the way.
Unifor Local 531 is seeking two additional Pay Equity Committee members - one dedicated and one alternate. To apply for this opporunity, click on this link for more information.