WestJet cancels around 40 flights ahead of mechanics strike

The WestJet Group canceled about 40 flights on Thursday in anticipation of a possible strike by its aircraft maintenance workers.

The airline says about 6,500 travelers are affected by the decision, which affects flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. WestJet says it has begun canceling and consolidating its flights in order to park the planes in a safe and organized manner.

About 670 WestJet mechanics represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association will walk out of work as early as Thursday evening after announcing a strike against the airline earlier this week.

The flight cancellations came while WestJet waited for a response to its request to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to intervene.

If this step is adopted, the dispute would be submitted to arbitration and industrial action by either side would be avoided, the company says.

The union, whose members voted overwhelmingly against a provisional agreement last week, is against this move.

On Tuesday, British Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan posted on the social media portal X (formerly Twitter) that he had referred the dispute to the CIRB “to find a way forward for their first-ever collective agreement.”

Reuters reported that a government source said on Wednesday that the CIRB was considering whether to intervene. The source, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said the body could take a range of actions, including ordering arbitration.