March 22, 2016

SumOfUs Responds to WestJet's Defense in Sexual Assault Case  

View the petition here:  http://action.sumofus.org/a/west-jet-whistleblower/ 

Today, Canadian airline WestJet denied nearly all claims made by plaintiff and former employee Mandalena Lewis in a lawsuit filed earlier this month. Said Emma Pullman, Lead Campaign Strategist at SumOfUs: 

"We are extremely disappointed to see the inappropriate and adversarial position WestJet is taking in response to a legitimate claim regarding a troubling incident of sexual assault in the workplace. While WestJet's CEO has reiterated time and again that the company cares deeply about its staff, WestJet's aggressive and defensive counterattack sends the message to employees and the public that these words are merely empty sentiments." 

WestJet's refusal to address the core concern (that the pilot in question had a history of sexual assault) is a prime example of their failure to recognize a serious and systemic issue in their workplace.  

SumOfUs and many of our members believe that WestJet should deal with this claim in good faith and do what it takes to get to the bottom of it, given the serious issues it raises both on an individual and company-wide basis.