WestJet flight attendants could walk off the job as early as Sunday. Here's what to know

Flight attendants at WestJet have voted overwhelming in favour of strike action that could affect travel over the August long weekend. Here’s what to know.

What is the status of the strike?

The flight attendants’ union announced on July 15 that its 4,400 members had voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. Turnout for the vote was 97.3 per cent, according to local 8125 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Of those who cast votes, 99.4 per cent were in favour of a strike, and 0.6 per cent opposed.

What happens next?

While a strike mandate does not mean that a strike will definitely happen, it does start the clock ticking on a 21-day cooling-off period, after which a strike is allowed. That means the earliest a strike could start is Aug. 2, the Sunday of the August long weekend.

The union is also required to give 72 hours notice of a strike, which means a Sunday strike would have to be announced no later than Wednesday.

What happens if a strike goes ahead?

A strike would effectively ground operations by the carrier’s nearly 200 aircraft . It would also affect travel on Sunwing Vacation packages, since that company has been using WestJet planes since last summer.

What does the union want?

One key issue, which was also raised during the Air Canada flight attendants’ strike last August, is that of pay for work performed while aircraft are on the ground.

WestJet cabin crew salaries are based on a model called credit hour that pays a higher rate for the duration of the flight to make up for the preparation before the plane takes off. As a result, staff are only paid for when they’re flying.

The model dates back several decades but the union says airline work has changed over the years, involving more complex pre-flight processes and forcing staff to work longer hours for the same amount of wages.

A union spokesperson told National Post by email: “Our Bargaining Committee remains at the table, committed to negotiating in good faith and reaching a fair collective agreement for WestJet Cabin Crew.”

The spokesperson added: “Our members are still working and doing our jobs, we’re continuing to show up and do the work that keeps WestJet running. We’ve been clear from the start that we want to reach a fair deal without a strike. The best way to do that is for WestJet to do the right thing and end the practice of unpaid work.”

What is the airline doing?

Last week, WestJet announced that passengers travelling between July 30 and August 4 could make use of a one-time change or cancellation at no additional cost.

“This policy has been activated to provide you with additional flexibility and does not mean a travel disruption will occur,” the airline said in a statement . “If your travel plans are flexible, we encourage you to review the options available for your booking.”

The policy also applies to WestJet Vacations, Sunwing Vacations and Vacances WestJet Québec, although Sunwing notes that if the new booking has a higher price, the difference must be paid. For a lower price, the difference will be refunded in the form of a travel voucher.

Airlines are also required to rebook passengers if flights are cancelled due to labour disruptions, but this can be difficult during busy times. Earlier this year, WestJet was fined $204,000 for failing to rebook some passengers during its last strike.

An airline spokesperson told National Post: “WestJet remains actively engaged in negotiations and is fully prepared to make meaningful improvements that work for cabin crew members while balancing the future sustainability of WestJet. We are optimistic we can arrive at an agreement.”

When was the last WestJet strike?

Mechanics at the airline walked off the job ahead of the Canada Day weekend in 2024, forcing the company to park 130 aircraft at 13 airports across Canada. However, talks quickly resumed and two days later the union withdrew its strike action and agreed to binding arbitration, which resulted in a new five-year agreement.

When was the last airline strike in Canada?

Air Canada flight attendants went on strike last August for three days, defying a return-to-work order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board. However, after three days both parties announced they had arrived at a tentative agreement, and Air Canada started resuming flights that day.

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