Why are Canada’s WestJet flight attendants on strike? Here’s what’s happening
WestJet flight attendants strike at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia. (Photo: AP)Flight attendants at Canada’s WestJet went on strike on Sunday after talks with the country’s second-largest airline broke down, grounding flights during one of the busiest weeks of summer, news agency Reuters reported.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 flight attendants at WestJet, wants members paid from the moment they check in until they clock out, rather than mainly for the time their aircraft is actually moving. Talks between the union and the airline failed to produce a deal, leading to the strike.
Alia Hussain, president of the union’s WestJet division, said, “We are on strike because we believe we deserve better.” She added that the union remains willing to return to the table to settle the dispute.
The union had given WestJet 72 hours’ notice on Thursday, warning a strike could follow if no agreement was reached. WestJet responded by issuing a lockout notice. Both sides said they tried to reach a deal until the last moment but could not.
How many flights and passengers are affected?
- WestJet had cancelled 615 flights as of Sunday morning, according to aviation data firm Cirium
- Around 250,000 travellers have had flights cancelled over the three-day Canadian holiday weekend
- More passengers could be affected the longer the strike continues
- WestJet holds a 30 per cent share of Canada’s domestic market and flies to the US, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe
What has WestJet offered the union?
WestJet said it had offered a 13 per cent wage increase this year, followed by yearly increases of 2.5 per cent through 2029. It also said it offered extra pay for all hours worked, equal to a further 12 per cent salary increase, aimed at addressing the union’s concerns about unpaid work. A union representative did not immediately respond to Reuters when asked about the offer.
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The airline said it would refund or rebook passengers hit by the cancellations. However, some travellers posting on social media reported trouble reaching WestJet’s customer service team and said they were unsure what steps to take next.
How has the government responded?
Canada’s jobs minister Patty Hajdu called the latest developments in the dispute disappointing, and said a strike or lockout does not rule out a deal being reached at the bargaining table.
Ottawa had intervened last year to try to stop a similar strike by Air Canada flight attendants, though the union at the time went ahead with the action regardless. WestJet’s union division has said it hopes the government stays out of this round of bargaining.
