The union representing WestJet Encore pilots says its members rejected the tentative deal reached last month, with just over half voting the agreement down. The union says despite improvements to compensation and scheduling, the pilots wanted to see more action from WestJet to address ongoing issues with pilot recruitment, retention, and morale.

The union, which represents the pilots for WestJet’s regional subsidiary, says the vote result shows pilots have a “deep-seated feeling” that the company is failing to recognize workers’ needs beyond compensation.

Union members had approved a strike mandate on April 2 by 97%, however WestJet says the results of the ratification vote do not impact operations.

“We are disappointed to learn that our WestJet Encore pilots have rejected an agreement that is distinctly competitive within Canada’s airline industry and solutioned their unique concerns,” commented Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group COO. “Our tentative agreement represented a robust negotiation process that got us to our final offer, and while we will meet with ALPA to determine next steps, we will hold firm on what is reasonable to ensure we can continue providing meaningful employment and affordable air travel to Canadians.”