WestJet call center workers vote to unionize over offshoring
- WestJet contact center workers in Calgary voted 89% to join Unifor.
- The new bargaining unit covers 750 workers.
- About 400 Calgary roles moved to TELUS Digital agents in El Salvador since October 2024.
- Unifor is also working with more than 300 Porter Airlines contact center workers.
CALGARY, CANADA — WestJet contact center workers in Calgary have voted 89% to join the Unifor union, a step toward negotiating their first collective agreement after about 400 local positions were transferred to agents in El Salvador.
Offshoring fears drive a union vote
The new 750-member bargaining unit includes air passenger protection regulations agents and guest services employees working in contact center operations, according to a release from Unifor.
Workers organized to address concerns about outsourcing, workplace discipline, scheduling and wages, and they will join Unifor Local 531 once the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) completes its certification.
Since October 2024, about 400 Calgary positions have been transferred to TELUS Digital agents in El Salvador, while WestJet has frozen local hiring, reduced hours and encouraged voluntary departures even as call volumes remain high, the union said.
WestJet sales and service agent Jaee McKenna said the campaign “was always about contact centre workers standing together and having a say in our future at WestJet.”
“Call centre workers live with constant uncertainty as employers outsource work, shift contracts and close workplaces with little warning,” said Gavin McGarrigle, western regional director at Unifor.
Aviation call centers organize across Canada
“We are thrilled to welcome these workers to Unifor,” said Lana Payne, national president of Unifor.
Unifor called on WestJet last year to stop offshoring Canadian contact center jobs and protect the Calgary workers involved.
The union’s application went to the CIRB on Dec. 18, 2025, and the vote took place over the week before the announcement.
Unifor is also working with more than 300 Porter Airlines contact center workers who are organizing to join the union.
The vote shows offshore outsourcing decisions meeting organized resistance at home, with a business process outsourcing (BPO) provider now handling work that Calgary staff once did. When a client moves customer service offshore in stages, buyers comparing the top BPO companies worldwide should expect labor relations in the home country to shape transition timelines.
Unifor’s campaign confirms that offshoring customer service can become a union organizing issue, not only a cost decision.
For enterprise buyers planning phased transfers of contact center work, the Calgary vote is a reminder to plan for bargaining obligations before volume moves.
BPO operators that support clear transition plans and client communication are positioned to win work that faces scrutiny onshore.
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Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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