The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing WestJet pilots, has filed a legal application in Federal Court seeking to invalidate the federal government’s recent approval of temporary foreign worker permits for pilot positions at WestJet Encore.
In the court filing submitted Monday, the union argues that the government’s decision to greenlight the hiring of approximately 60 foreign pilots—reportedly from India and South Africa—was made without proper consultation and could compromise aviation safety standards and undermine wage progress for Canadian pilots.
“We were not consulted on this significant decision,” said Captain Tim Perry, president of ALPA Canada. “This move not only threatens to erode safety margins but risks devaluing the gains made by our Canadian pilot workforce.”
WestJet responded by stating that it has not yet hired any foreign pilots and that it only requested the government to assess the labour market need—a required step under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
“This process is about determining whether a labour shortage exists,” said a WestJet spokesperson. “It does not automatically lead to hiring from abroad.”
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program, designed to address short-term labour shortages across sectors, has come under increased scrutiny in recent years as its use expands beyond traditional industries like agriculture, hospitality, and health care to include highly skilled professions such as commercial aviation.
The legal challenge from ALPA could have broader implications for labour policy and aviation hiring practices in Canada, especially as airlines navigate post-pandemic pilot shortages and increased demand for air travel.