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Canada’s second-largest airline, WestJet, has given a 72-hour notice period of intention to strike, should a deal not be reached between its nearly 4,400 flight attendants and the carrier. This could cripple planned travel across the country on its upcoming civic holiday and the busy summer travel season.
Cabin crew at WestJet could strike by Sunday, August 2, as the Calgary-based carrier has been unable to agree with thousands of its cabin crew. A root cause of this issue is the failure to produce an agreement over unpaid work, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and reported by Reuters.
Less Than 72 Hours Until A Potential Strike At WestJet
At present, the union is demanding that cabin crew be paid from the time they check in until the time they check out, which currently is not a term within the existing contract. This has led to ongoing labor tensions at the country’s second-largest airline, where WestJet operates around 30% of all domestic flights. The carrier operates a mainline fleet of more than 150 aircraft, as detailed below with data from ch-aviation:
Aircraft Type | Number In Fleet |
|---|---|
Boeing 737-700 | 34 |
Boeing 737-800 | 53 |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 69 |
Boeing 787-9 | Seven |
This is not the first time the issue of unpaid work has been raised by North American airlines, where a movement of major US carriers has been challenged for compensation structures that pay cabin crew for the total hours on the clock, versus time in the air. Due to the current stalemate between the union and WestJet, the Canadian government did appoint a mediator to help the two parties accelerate their talks.
President of CUPE, Alia Hussain, has made it clear that its flight attendants want to reach a fair deal without the need for strike action. Unfortunately, the two sides remain miles apart on key issues. Hussain shared the below statement in a new release this week:
“We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal. There’s still time to avoid a strike. We will continue to bargain around the clock until this is resolved.”
A Possible Airline Shutdown Over Peak Travel Period
Ongoing bargaining between WestJet and the union is continuing, but due to the two parties being unable to reach an agreement as yet, the carrier has been warned of a 72-hour notice for strike action on what could be one of the busiest summer travel weekends for Canadian airlines.
The union issued the 72-hour lockout notice; it was a decision not made lightly by the union, and the airline has responded to the notice with the statement below from airline Chief Executive Officer Alexis von Hoensbroech:
“The decision to issue a lockout notice in response to the actions taken by the union was not one that was made lightly. We sincerely regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this continues to cause for our guests.”
It is important to note that while the intention to strike has been notified to WestJet, this does not mean that there will be a strike; it does notify the airline that industrial action could begin as soon as Sunday, August 2 at 12:01 AM.
Flexible Flight Plans Made Available
The intention to strike will only affect mainline WestJet services and does not include those operated by regional subsidiary WestJet Encore. The airline has already taken several steps to make it easier for travelers to rebook on alternative dates without penalty, with the policy change hoping to alleviate the pressure on the airline system should it see flights grounded by Sunday.
Travelers booked on codeshare flights, with partners such as 
Delta Air Lines, will be unaffected, and should WestJet flights be affected, passengers impacted will be reaccommodated, or have their travel bookings refunded as required. Cabin Crew who could be displaced from their home base will be put up in hotels or put on another flight back to other Canadian cities, subject to availability.
The union and WestJet are hoping that the two parties are able to come to an agreement before the week ends, to avoid thousands of flight attendants walking off the job, grounding one of North America’s largest carriers and crippling the Canadian airline system over this civic holiday long weekend.
