A strike by WestJet airline flight attendants has ended thanks to a tentative deal between the Canadian carrier and the employees’ union, but the ripple effects of the two-day strike are still being felt.
About 4,400 WestJet flight attendants walked off the job on Sunday over a pay dispute centering on whether they should be paid for the time they clock into the job until they clock out, rather than primarily time spent airborne.
The “ground pay” issue was also at the core of a previous strike by Air Canada flight attendants. In both cases, airlines ultimately agreed to the union demands, although the WestJet deal remains tentative until flight attendants vote to approve it.
WestJet cabin crew have 30 days to vote on the agreement, but will return to work in the interim.
Cancellations & Stranded Travelers
The walkout over the weekend resulted in hundreds of WestJet flight cancellations and left many travelers stranded. The airline said on Monday that it remains in “recovery mode” as operations ramp up again.
Even with a prospective deal in hand, additional flights have been canceled on Monday and Tuesday. The aviation analytics company Cirium reported that over 300 WestJet flights were canceled Monday, or around 62 percent of all scheduled flights, with another 16 canceled so far today.
In a notice posted to the airline website, WestJet said that while the agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents flight attendants in Canada, is “an important step forward, the impact of recent labor disruptions on our scheduled flights means that a full return to normal operations will take time.
“As we resume flying and repositioning our aircraft and crews, some flights may continue to be disrupted,” according to WestJet. “If you’re traveling in the coming days, only head to the airport if your flight is confirmed.”
