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WestJet pilots vote in favour of strike mandate, could walk before May long weekend

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The union representing WestJet pilots voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate Tuesday, casting clouds of uncertainty over Canadians’ travel plans.

The Air Line Pilots Association said its 1,600 WestJet pilots can launch a strike as early as May 16 _ the Tuesday ahead of the May long weekend, which typically kicks off the summer travel season for thousands whose itineraries could now be upended.

The workers’ issues revolve around job protection, pay and scheduling at the airline and its discount subsidiary Swoop, said Bernard Lewall, who heads the union’s WestJet contingent.

“If you’re trying to attract new pilots or retain the experienced ones that we have, there’s got to be some definition of a career path for them. And because there’s three different airlines under the umbrella of WestJet flying the same airplanes, all with different wages and working conditions, there really isn’t that defined career path,” he said in a phone interview from Calgary.

“It is no longer a career destination.”

Some 240 pilots left the carrier last year, followed by about 100 so far this year, most of them to other airlines, he said.

Around 95 per cent of pilots took part in the strike vote, with 93 per cent of them in favour of the mandate.

Pilots could also opt for more restrained job action such as refusal to work overtime, Lewall noted.

WestJet chief operating officer Diederik Pen said in a statement that strike authorization is a “common step” by unions during labour negotiations and “does not mean a strike will occur.”

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech told reporters last Wednesday that bookings were not being affected by the threat of a strike and that he expects to resolve the standoff.

“Recruitment is actually running pretty well,” he said in a phone interview from Calgary last Thursday, referring to pilots. “But what we are seeing is high attrition. That’s certainly an impact of the current situation.”

Resignations have been especially frequent at WestJet Encore, the carrier’s regional subsidiary, “which is actually pretty painful, although they’re not subject to the current bargaining,” von Hoensbroech said.

“Some of them are being actively recruited by some competitors.”

Von Hoensbroech, who has headed the Calgary-based airline since February 2022, said he expects to get through negotiations without any job action and with “meaningful improvements to their contract.”

Lewall is calling for a “North American-standard contract,” but von Hoensbroech suggested that asking for pay on par with U.S. counterparts is far-fetched.

“Pilots dream about U.S. wages. The union keeps on repeating that all they want is a standard North American contract,” the CEO said.

“But the U.S. is a totally different market on the aviation side,” he continued. “If you want the wages of another country, then you move to this other country and then live with everything it comes with.”

Talks are ongoing through the federal conciliation process, which will end April 24 followed by a three-week break, unless the parties agree to extend negotiations.

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Cineplex reports $24.7M Q3 loss on Competition Tribunal penalty

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TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.

The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.

The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.

The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.

Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.

Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CGX)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Restaurant Brands reports US$357M Q3 net income, down from US$364M a year ago

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TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.

The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.

Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.

On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:QSR)

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Electric and gas utility Fortis reports $420M Q3 profit, up from $394M a year ago

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.

The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.

Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.

Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:FTS)

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