Karen Berry, President
Karen was elected President of Local 531 in September 2022 after serving as a Bargaining Committee member who assisted in the negotiations of WestJet Vancouver and Calgary first collective agreement. She has been employed by WestJet for 9 years and has held multiple positions including Guest Services Ambassador in both Toronto and Vancouver and Customer Service Agent. She has also served as the Employee Chairperson on the OSH committee, a member of the Peer Selection team, and a new hire guide. Karen currently is a member of the WestJet Policy Committee and the Unifor Aviation Council. Karen is strong advocate for mental health awareness and its impacts, especially on our youth. She has a clear vision of what she wants to accomplish as Local 531 first President and is continuously looking ways to strengthen her relationships with the Members. She believes that leadership is associated with courage but also empathy, vulnerability, and self-care. Outside of work, Karen shares her life with her husband who is her high school sweetheart, two teenage children and two cats.
She enjoys camping, paddleboarding, travelling, reading, practicing self-care and mindfulness, and seeing her favourite band, Dave Matthews Band, play concerts all over the world.
Breanne Laihow, YVR Unit Chair
Breanne was elected as WestJet Vancouver District Chairperson in September 2022. Prior to that she was involved in the organization to unionize members and was appointed to the Bargaining Committee. She played a vital role in forming the first Collective Agreement for Unifor Local 531. Breanne has been in the aviation industry working with WestJet Airlines LTD for 12 years in various roles including Guest Services Ambassador (GSA), Customer Service Agent (CSA), Baggage Service Agent (BSA), Priority Service Agent (PSA) and Guest Service Lead (GSL). She also served as a Culture Club Committee member, a SPOT (safely performing on time) committee member, a peer mentor and new hire guide. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, camping and salmon fishing with her husband and two children.
Mark Enns, Secretary Treasurer
WestJet has been a part of Mark’s life for quite a long time; he began his career in Edmonton as a Customer Service Agent in 2001. He worked in Edmonton for a year before transferring to Vancouver as a Team Leader in 2002. Mark has held various Leadership positions in Vancouver over the years, until 2016 when the position with the Support Services position was made redundant across WestJet team. Wanting to continue his career with WestJet, he accepted the role of Customer Service Agent and also Guest Services Manager in relief capacity. Once WestJet was bought by WestJet, Mark lead and organized a union movement and worked hard to gain the trust of the team on the floor. Mark was an integral part of bringing Unifor to our Members and because of his drive, frontline workers in Vancouver and Calgary certified in May 2021. Mark served a strong voice on the Bargaining Committee and has been elected the first Secretary Treasurer of Local 531. He is honoured and humbled to be trusted in both these positions. It is his goal to work diligently to ensure financial responsibility and accountability of the Local’s assets and funds. Outside of WestJet, Mark enjoys designing and renovating properties for either resale or rental. He is an avid photographer and have shot several weddings for close friends and family. Mark lives with his fiancé who also works for WestJet as a Flight Attendant and is planning a wedding for Fall 2023.
Kara Jahn, Recording Secretary & Communications
Kara has worked for WestJet in Vancouver for 13 years and truly appreciates and loves the people she works with. She has held various positions within the Vancouver operation including Guest Service Ambassador, Customer Service Agent, Baggage Service Agent, Priority Service Agent, Brake Rider, and Guest Service Lead. She has extensive knowledge of the aviation operation and is looking forward to her new role as Communication Officer with Local 531. Kara has had the honour of leading the Vancouver WestJet Community Investment Committee for over 5 years. She volunteers her time with various community agencies including Ronald McDonald, The Vancouver C.H.I.L.D Foundation, Big Brothers of Canada, and the Backpack Buddies program in
conjunction with the Community Investment Team. Kara lives in a small cooperative living complex and currently holds the position of Membership Committee Chair. She believes that the experience and knowledge that she has gained in this position benefits her ability to perform in the Communications Officer. Kara is from a small indigenous community in Northern Alberta and loves learning about her Metis Heritage. She is an advocate for indigenous and women’s rights and is looking forward to getting involved with the various committees Unifor has to offer. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing her Cree, beading, hiking with her pup and spending time with her family.
Sherwin Antonio, YYC Unit Chair
Sherwin Antonio elected as the first District Chair for YYC, Unifor Local 531 in 2022, representing over 500 members in the Airline sector. Prior to acclamation, he played a pivotal role along with many others in the drive to organize the airport workers for WestJet Airlines. He was then elected to the Bargaining Committee shortly after certification in 2021. Sherwin has been employed with WestJet for over 16 years in the frontline role and continues an active Guest Service Lead in Baggage. Being a part of history in the making has paved Sherwin’s drive to continue to build inclusivity within the workplace. He has demonstrates his commitment in strengthening the voices of members and leaving a legacy behind for others to become advocates and leaders in workers’ rights.
A born and raised Calgarian with a passion to give back to humanity and a wanderlust. Sherwin truly recognized how grueling the fight against worldwide childhood hunger can be as he climbed to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Instead of typical fundraising techniques, Sherwin decided to join FCE’s NO Hunger Ball campaign raising over $10,000 through this treacherous climb to Kilimanjaro’s peak. He now works towards conquering all 7 summits.
Elaine Keras, YVR Trustee
Elaine was elected as the YVR Trustee in September 2022. She has two children and a dog. Elaine has been employed with WestJet for 9 years and began her career as a Guest Services Ambassador. Elaine then moved to become a Customer Services Agent and recently took on the role of an Airport Leaning Coordinator in a relief capacity. Elaine was a long-time member of the WestJet Culture Committee as she believed in growing and nurturing WestJet’s unique culture. She still remains committed building relationships between her coworkers and often organizes events outside of work to nurture those friendships. Elaine loves traveling and the travel industry. Some of the places she’s been to include San Francisco, Cancun, Hawaii, and China. In her spare time, she can usually be found with a crochet hook in hand as she is an avid crocheter.
Jagreet Singh, YYC Trustee
Erica Kelly, YYC Unit Chair
As a dedicated WestJetter CSA of 12 years and FT status in the YYZ labour community, Erica has been elected the first YYZ Chair of Unifor Local 531.
Born and raised in the Toronto Pearson International Airport area, Erica learned the value and importance of the airport and its workers at an early age. These values would serve her well throughout her career with WestJet, as she often considered how to improve the lives of working people in her workplace and community.
As a member of Unifor Local 531’s first YYZ bargaining team, Erica was instrumental in negotiating numerous articles that have improved working conditions and increased wages for all Unifor Local 531 members across the country. Her expertise and dedication to WestJet YYZ’s first Collective Bargaining Agreement will be invaluable in ensuring that the union’s voice is heard and that workers’ concerns are addressed.
In addition to her work with Unifor Local 531, Erica is also actively involved in a number of labour and community organizations. She is an experienced provincial-level political debater and praised anti-racism public speaker. In her free time, Erica continues to serve on her local Riding Association Executive Board, annually elected as CFO at both Federal and Provincial levels since 2019. She continues to advocate for strong labour protections, workers’ rights and economic reform through her activism and political efforts.
When Erica is not working to advance the cause of labour, she enjoys raving, visiting urban ravines, and buying ridiculously expensive ice cream in The Beaches.
