WestJet mechanics strike: Hundreds of flights cancelled

An unexpected strike by unionized aircraft mechanics at WestJet forced tens of thousands of passengers to rethink their travel plans on Saturday after the airline canceled hundreds of flights.

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) announced that its members walked off work around 5:30 p.m. MDT on Friday because the airline’s “unwillingness to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable.”

The move came after the federal government issued a ministerial decree on Thursday for binding arbitration following two weeks of turbulent negotiations with the union over a new agreement.

WestJet executives said at a press conference in Calgary that 235 flights had already been cancelled by midday Saturday, affecting around 33,000 passengers. If the strike is not resolved, another 150 flights could be cancelled by the end of the day.

WestJet Airlines President Diederik Pen described the strike as “devastating” for passengers and the airline.

“We are outraged and I want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to resolve this,” Pen said.

The airline’s CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, clearly blamed the situation on a “renegade union from the US” trying to gain a foothold in Canada.

Von Hoensbroech said negotiations with the union had ended for the airline after the minister referred the dispute to binding arbitration.

“This makes a strike completely absurd, because the real reason for a strike is to put pressure on the negotiating table,” he said. “If there is no negotiating table, there is no point, then there should be no strike.”

He added that the union had rejected a wage offer that would have made the airline’s mechanics the “best paid in the country.”

Meanwhile, British Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan also seems to be dealing with the strike and its consequences.

He issued a brief statement Saturday morning saying he was reviewing the Canada Industrial Relations Board’s order, describing it as “clearly inconsistent” with the instructions he had given. But a new statement released later in the day said he respected the authority of the body, which he noted was independent of the government. He intended to meet with both sides later Saturday, he added.

In an update to its 680 members, the union published a letter from the board about its decision, which said that referring the matter to the ministry “does not result in a suspension of the right to strike or lockout”.

The threat of a strike appeared to recede on Thursday when WestJet said AMFA had “confirmed that they would comply with the directive. With that in mind, there will be no strike or lockout and the airline will no longer cancel flights.”

The change in position on Friday seemed to shock travelers and executives alike.

“Is my flight on Sunday in danger?” asked Andrew Wheatley of Edmonton in a post to X.

“I support the right of a union to strike, as long as it is legal. And hopefully they get a good result. But at the same time, I have to be at work on Monday morning,” he added.

Sean McVeigh, a WestJet aircraft maintenance technician who went on strike outside Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Saturday, said the strike was an attempt to force the airline to return to “respectful negotiations.”

McVeigh said the union regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers.

“However, the reason they (the passengers) may have missed a flight or had to cancel it is because WestJet is not respectfully sitting down at the negotiating table and negotiating,” he said, along with about 20 other picket participants.

McVeigh said the union was demanding better working conditions and a “fair and respectful wage.”

“We are taking on a great responsibility and would like to receive financial recognition for it,” he said.

Earlier this month, mechanics overwhelmingly rejected a tentative deal with the Calgary-based airline, prompting WestJet to seek government intervention.

Gabor Lukacs, chairman of the Air Passenger Rights advocacy group, said that as things stand, the union is participating in a legal strike.

“I think the blame here lies with management and not the union,” Lukacs said in a telephone interview. “From a management perspective, they (WestJet) did not handle the situation well and they need to face the consequences.”

He said WestJet is legally required to find alternative travel options for stranded passengers within 48 hours, either on another of the company’s flights or on a competitor’s.

You can also request a refund, but Lukacs says he advises against it.

“I would strongly advise passengers not to accept a refund unless they are absolutely certain they do not wish to travel,” he said. “If you accept a refund, WestJet will not be able to meet its obligations to you.”

Pen said WestJet would comply with regulations and refund passengers while offering those stranded overnight hotel accommodation. Beyond that, the airline was “unable to provide additional compensation,” he said.

This is not the first time that labour unrest at WestJet has affected holiday weekend travel plans. The airline managed to avert a strike in the early hours of the May long weekend last year, but then cancelled over 230 flights and forced thousands of people to change their travel plans.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2024.

– with files from Christopher Reynolds in Montreal