WestJet strike grounds 300 flights as cabin crew row hits Canada weekend
WestJet flight attendants went on strike on Sunday, forcing widespread cancellations across Canada. The walkout has revived the dispute over pay for ground duties during a busy holiday weekend.
Canada's second-largest airline WestJet was hit by a strike by its flight attendants on Sunday in a dispute over pay, disrupting travel during a three-day weekend in the country. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 cabin crew members at the airline, announced the strike on Facebook.
WestJet said more than 300 flights had been cancelled as of early Sunday, affecting travel plans across Canada. The airline confirmed the strike and said its focus remained on being available to the union to reach an agreement.
A key issue in the dispute is how flight attendants should be paid for duties carried out while still on the ground. The union said some of that work is unpaid, while the airline said staff are compensated through a credit-hour system rather than an hourly rate.
"We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group. "Unfortunately, it wasn't accepted." WestJet said it could not operate any of its scheduled Boeing 737 and 787 flights, and that travellers would be refunded or reaccommodated. It said passengers who booked directly would be contacted by email, while those who booked through a travel agent or third-party platform should contact them. WestJet Encore flights operated on a Q400 and code-share flights operated by partner airlines remain unaffected.
The dispute comes after a similar stoppage last summer at Air Canada, the country's largest carrier, when flight attendants stranded more than 100,000 travellers during the peak travel season in a strike that was partly over the same issue of groundwork. That stoppage lasted three days before an agreement was reached. In the latest disruption, WestJet's flight attendant strike has once again put the spotlight on pay for ground duties, while hundreds of flights have been cancelled and some services remain unaffected.
With PTI Inputs
Canada's second-largest airline WestJet was hit by a strike by its flight attendants on Sunday in a dispute over pay, disrupting travel during a three-day weekend in the country. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 cabin crew members at the airline, announced the strike on Facebook.
WestJet said more than 300 flights had been cancelled as of early Sunday, affecting travel plans across Canada. The airline confirmed the strike and said its focus remained on being available to the union to reach an agreement.
A key issue in the dispute is how flight attendants should be paid for duties carried out while still on the ground. The union said some of that work is unpaid, while the airline said staff are compensated through a credit-hour system rather than an hourly rate.
"We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group. "Unfortunately, it wasn't accepted." WestJet said it could not operate any of its scheduled Boeing 737 and 787 flights, and that travellers would be refunded or reaccommodated. It said passengers who booked directly would be contacted by email, while those who booked through a travel agent or third-party platform should contact them. WestJet Encore flights operated on a Q400 and code-share flights operated by partner airlines remain unaffected.
The dispute comes after a similar stoppage last summer at Air Canada, the country's largest carrier, when flight attendants stranded more than 100,000 travellers during the peak travel season in a strike that was partly over the same issue of groundwork. That stoppage lasted three days before an agreement was reached. In the latest disruption, WestJet's flight attendant strike has once again put the spotlight on pay for ground duties, while hundreds of flights have been cancelled and some services remain unaffected.
With PTI Inputs
Canada's second-largest airline WestJet was hit by a strike by its flight attendants on Sunday in a dispute over pay, disrupting travel during a three-day weekend in the country. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 cabin crew members at the airline, announced the strike on Facebook.
WestJet said more than 300 flights had been cancelled as of early Sunday, affecting travel plans across Canada. The airline confirmed the strike and said its focus remained on being available to the union to reach an agreement.
A key issue in the dispute is how flight attendants should be paid for duties carried out while still on the ground. The union said some of that work is unpaid, while the airline said staff are compensated through a credit-hour system rather than an hourly rate.
"We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group. "Unfortunately, it wasn't accepted." WestJet said it could not operate any of its scheduled Boeing 737 and 787 flights, and that travellers would be refunded or reaccommodated. It said passengers who booked directly would be contacted by email, while those who booked through a travel agent or third-party platform should contact them. WestJet Encore flights operated on a Q400 and code-share flights operated by partner airlines remain unaffected.
The dispute comes after a similar stoppage last summer at Air Canada, the country's largest carrier, when flight attendants stranded more than 100,000 travellers during the peak travel season in a strike that was partly over the same issue of groundwork. That stoppage lasted three days before an agreement was reached. In the latest disruption, WestJet's flight attendant strike has once again put the spotlight on pay for ground duties, while hundreds of flights have been cancelled and some services remain unaffected.
With PTI Inputs
