Under the leadership of the federal government, a possible labor strike at WestJet Airlines was avoided.
The labour minister called on the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on Thursday afternoon to help the airline and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) reach their first settlement through binding arbitration.
The AMFA represents aircraft maintenance technicians and technical operations employees at WestJet.
Under the Minister’s leadership, both the airline and the union will clarify the remaining terms of the collective agreement. This means that there will be no strikes or lockouts and no further flight cancellations.
The union issued its first strike notice last week, resulting in the cancellation of about 40 WestJet flights between June 18 and 20.
The notice was later withdrawn after the CIRB union federation rejected WestJet’s attempt to end the strike and the employer subsequently agreed to set negotiation dates.
After just one day of renewed negotiations, the talks failed again and the union announced a second strike, resulting in the cancellation of around 25 flights in preparation for industrial action.
WestJet’s website says the airline acknowledged that Thursday’s federal government directive was to “ensure industrial peace.”
AMFA also stated that it would comply with the minister’s instructions.
“AMFA will comply with the Minister’s order and instruct its members to refrain from any unlawful industrial action,” AMFA said in a press statement.
Diederik Pen, president of WestJet Airlines and the group’s chief operating officer, said the government’s actions would protect Canadians’ summer travel plans and provide a path to resolving the problem.
“We recognize the significant impact the initial cancellations continue to have on our guests and staff, and we sincerely appreciate their patience and understanding as we resume operations,” Pen said.
Travellers who booked directly with WestJet will be notified of changes to existing travel via the email address provided at the time of booking, and those who booked through a travel agent or online booking agency should contact them directly.
Updates on flight status and travel changes will be provided on WestJet’s Guest Updates page.
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