Some travellers are heading into the long weekend on edge, as WestJet begins its first round of cancellations ahead of a possible strike by flight attendants.
The airline announced that a total of 198 flights have been cancelled as of Saturday afternoon. The company says the move is meant to prevent crew and passengers from getting stranded, and travellers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
“This action is in response to the union’s notice to strike and the inability to reach an agreement. WestJet’s most recent proposal was designed to be a transformative, industry-leading agreement for WestJet’s cabin crew, and directly addressed the key issues the union identified as its priorities,” a WestJet spokesperson said in a statement.
The union representing the flight attendants has said the proposal didn’t address all of their concerns.
If a deal is not reached by Sunday morning, either side could begin a work stoppage that would cancel hundreds of flights during a long weekend for much of the country.
WestJet says it is continuing to bargain with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 4,400 flight attendants, in the hope of reaching an agreement on a new contract.
The union triggered a 72-hour strike notice that ends just after midnight Sunday in Calgary, where WestJet is headquartered, and the airline responded with a lockout notice on the same timeline.
A traveller at Toronto’s Pearson airport looks out at a WestJet airplane on Friday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
That strike notice doesn’t commit flight attendants to taking job action but has proved worrisome for passengers who are left in limbo, unsure whether or not their flights will take off this weekend.
In emails obtained by CBC News, WestJet said it had put forward what it believes is the best agreement it could responsibly offer.
That includes what the company claims is a union proposal “for compensation before and after flights through duty premium payments,” which would be included in what WestJet describes as a cumulative wage increase of about 36 per cent over four years.
The company also says it offered scheduling improvements and better provisions for things like travel and hotels while flight attendants are away from home, according to one of the internal WestJet emails viewed by CBC News.
The union representing flight attendants told CBC News that the proposals don’t go far enough.
“We aren’t just bargaining a few things, we are seeking a comprehensive contract that reflects the priorities of our members,” CUPE WestJet Component president Alia Hussain said in an email.
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Calleigh Gingras is a former flight attendant who has been a vocal critic on social media about issues within the airline industry. She says she is not shocked by news of a possible strike by WestJet flight attendants and that despite loving the job, the pay for the working conditions, including many hours of unpaid work, was ‘not sustainable’ for her.
Hussain said while some progress has been made toward reaching a deal, there are issues remaining that “need to be resolved at the table.”
“We are hopeful that we can still avoid a strike and remain committed to resolving this there.”
Patty Hajdu, federal minister of jobs and families, said in an emailed statement to CBC News that she has met with the two parties as they mediate in Calgary.
“Our government has always maintained that the best deals are reached at the bargaining table,” Hajdu said.
“With federal mediators supporting negotiations since May, the parties can and should reach a deal. Canadians are counting on it.”
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said in a statement it hopes the dispute will be resolved soon, noting a labour disruption will affect both tourism and supply chains.
“Businesses and travellers need air transportation that is predictable and reliable,” the group said.
“Maintaining this confidence is essential to supporting economic growth and ensuring Calgary remains connected to markets within the country and around the world.”
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What happens to affected travellers?
As cancellations begin, the airline has said travellers should check the status of their flights ahead of their trips.
Ahead of the potential strike, WestJet has been allowing passengers travelling between July 30 and Aug. 4 to make a one-time change or cancellation with no fees.
But only passengers with certain kinds of bookings can get a refund back to their original form of payment if they take advantage of the one-time cancellation offer. Those who booked PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex flights, or premium and business passengers travelling between Canada and Asia, can get their cash back, and others will get a refund in the form of a travel credit.
If a customer decides to keep their WestJet booking, and delays or cancellations still occur, the airline said affected passengers will be refunded or re-accommodated as applicable. Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, affected customers should be rescheduled on a flight with WestJet or one of its partners within 48 hours, or they can receive a refund instead of a travel credit.
If the airline cannot reschedule customers within 48 hours, it is obligated to try to reschedule them on a competitor’s flight if necessary, but that can be at another airport.
The airline said travellers who booked with WestJet directly will be notified of any changes through the contact information provided in their booking, and those who booked through a third party such as a travel agent will have to make changes through the third party.
One such traveller who’s trying to change bookings without much luck is Edmonton’s Gani Suleman.
He told CBC News that his trip from Alberta to Scotland to attend his sister’s wedding had been planned for months, but he has spent the last few weeks in a holding pattern as his tries to confirm with WestJet and a third-party travel agency, from which he bought his tickets, that his flight is still leaving as scheduled.
When he asked the travel agency if he could change his flight as per WestJet’s announcement, Suleman said the agency told him that it was not informed about any such option.
“We’re just waiting,” he said. “The worst thing is that every single day, if I’m looking at alternative prices, they’re just escalating … but there’s nothing we can do.”
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Talks continue this morning between WestJet and the union representing its flight attendants. CUPE 8125 issued a 72-hour strike notice yesterday. And WestJet responded with a 72-hour lockout notice. The workers will be in a legal strike position late Saturday night Pacific time
At Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, meanwhile, anxiety was high.
Alyesha Singh told The Canadian Press that she was worried she would miss her 15-person family reunion in the Dominican Republic. She hasn’t seen some family members in years and is thrilled to get everyone in one place.
Her parents planned their trip and have been keeping a close eye on cancellation updates, Singh said at the airline’s baggage drop-off station.
“We just hope everything comes to a conclusion before we get back.”
What is this dispute all about?
Compensation for work done on the ground remains a key stumbling block in the talks, less than a year after the same issue sparked a work stoppage by Air Canada flight attendants. They ultimately won compensation increases.
The union has characterized certain ground duties as unpaid, but WestJet describes it differently.
WestJet’s current “credit hour” system combines flight time, ground duties, delays and other labour into a “single, higher rate of pay” that is then credited across the workday, the company says on its website.
The pay rate ranges between $28.88 and $53.61 per credit hour, the company says. At 80 credit hours a month — considered full-time work — that adds up to between $2,300 and $4,300.
Many airlines operate under a similar structure, but Delta Air Lines spearheaded reforms in 2022 when it became the first carrier in North America to pay flight attendants specifically for work done on the ground. American Airlines and Alaska Airlines followed suit with boarding pay of 50 per cent of regular rates.
Suleman, the traveller from Edmonton, said he sympathizes with the cabin crews, noting he himself would not do any extra work if he wasn’t paid for it.
“They’ve gone out of their way,” he said of their ground duties. “I think it’s now WestJet’s turn.”