Open this photo in gallery:
A plane takes off as WestJet flight attendants hold a ‘Day of Action’ in Calgary on July 14. The union voted in favour of a strike the day after.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The labour dispute between WestJet and its flight attendants continues after the union representing them said on July 15 that its members had overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike.
Here’s what you need to know about the potential WestJet strike and what it could mean for you.
When would the strike start?
Open this photo in gallery:
Alia Hussain, left, who chairs CUPE’s WestJet contingent, speaks to the media in Calgary.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Flight attendants could walk off the job as soon as Sunday. The union must give 72 hours notice before going on strike.
WestJet and the Canadian Union of Public Employees are in active bargaining sessions to negotiate a new collective agreement for the flight attendants.
CUPE Local 8125 represents 4,400 WestJet flight attendants. In the July 15 vote, 99.4 per cent of its members voted in favour of a strike.
In a statement announcing the vote results, Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125, said union members were united and determined. She called on the airline to return to bargaining “with a new focus.”
“They voted to strike because they stand behind the bargaining priorities that they have identified, especially pay for all hours of work performed. WestJet should do the right thing and prevent travel disruptions for their passengers,” she said.
What happens if WestJet goes on strike? Which routes will be cancelled?
Open this photo in gallery:
WestJet passenger jets are shown parked at departure gates at Calgary International Airport on May 31, 2023.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
All flights operated by WestJet – Canada’s second-largest airline – would be grounded if flight attendants walk off the job. In a statement on its website, the Calgary-based airline said that trips on Q400 planes and WestJet codeshare flights operated by its airline partners would not be impacted by a strike. Some of WestJet’s partners include Fiji Airways, Air France and Delta Air Lines.
WestJet is also offering one-time booking changes without fees ahead of the potential strike. It says the flexible travel policy applies to those planning to travel between July 30 and Aug. 4.
Why are the flight attendants going on strike?
Open this photo in gallery:
WestJet flight attendants during their ‘Day of Action’ protest on July 14.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
CUPE governs pay, scheduling and working conditions for the airline’s cabin crew. Its collective agreement expired at the end of 2025.
The union held the strike vote after months of negotiations with the airline failed to yield any significant movement on a key issue: ground pay for flight attendants.
As it stands, WestJet flight attendants are only compensated when the plane is in the air. They are not paid for work they do in the airport or on the plane before it departs. They also do not get paid for work done after the plane lands.
Employees are paid as per the “credit hour” system. A credit hour is equal to one flight-time hour, which WestJet says is approximately one-and-a-half hours of duty time. The credit hour combines flight time, ground duties, delays and other work into “a single, higher rate of pay.” That rate is “the standard pay model for cabin crew across North America,” the airline said.
WestJet says the system provides wages on a basis other than duty time worked, and all time is compensated according to the collective agreement.
Didn’t Air Canada’s flight attendants go on strike last year for similar reasons?
Open this photo in gallery:
Air Canada flight attendants strike outside Montreal–Trudeau International Airport on Aug. 16, 2025.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
Air Canada flight attendants went on a nation-wide strike in August, 2025, over wages and the issue of unpaid work.
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu had invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code 12 hours into the strike. The legislation gives the minister unilateral power to order binding arbitration and end work stoppages to secure “industrial peace.”
The flight attendants defied the back-to-work order issued by the federal government, resulting in a three-day strike and the grounding of domestic and international Air Canada flights.
The union and the airline then brokered a tentative deal which, for the first time, gives flight attendants partial ground pay. For one hour prior to takeoff, flight attendants would receive 50 per cent of their hourly rate as ground pay. This would rise to 70 per cent by the fourth year of the contract.
CUPE also represents Air Canada flight attendants.
What happens if your flight is cancelled because of a strike?
Open this photo in gallery:
Passengers are seen in the WestJet check-in area at Pearson International Airport, in Toronto, June 29, 2024.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
Flights that are cancelled because of labour disputes are considered a situation outside of the airline’s control, according to Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations. The rules require that passengers be rebooked on the next available flight with a partner airline, which must depart within 48 hours of the original departure time.
If passengers can’t be rebooked within 48 hours, they have the right to a refund. Airlines must also try to rebook the customer on any airline after 48 hours, including its competitors, if the customer chooses not to take the refund.
WestJet was hit with a fine of $204,000 in February, 2025, after failing to provide passengers with alternative reservations in June and July, 2024. Multiple flights had been cancelled during that period, when aircraft mechanics were striking over the Canada Day long weekend.
The clock is ticking toward a strike deadline that could see 4,400 WestJet flight attendants walk off the job as soon as Sunday.
The Canadian Press
With reports from Vanmala Subramaniam, Globe staff and The Canadian Press