WestJet Airlines cancels over 400 flights due to mechanics strike
Here are four things you should know about canceled and delayed flights
When are you entitled to a refund or a free hotel when traveling? Here are four things to know about canceled or delayed flights.
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MONTREAL – A strike by WestJet Airlines mechanics that has resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations will continue until an agreement is reached, the union leader told Reuters on Sunday.
Bret Oestreich, president of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, said the two sides would meet again on Sunday with a mediator. The union represents about 680 WestJet workers, including aircraft maintenance technicians, who went on strike on Friday after 97 percent of its members rejected a collective agreement negotiated in May.
“We just want to get back to the negotiating table,” said Oestreich. “The strike will continue until we reach an agreement.”
He said the two sides are separated by an economic difference of about 7% in the first year, or less than $8 million on a contract that lasts about four years.
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WestJet, which is owned by Onex Corp. and also flies to destinations across the United States, was not immediately available for comment Sunday.
On Saturday, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech blamed the union for the disruptions and argued that management was refusing to negotiate.
“Their sole purpose was to inconvenience as many Canadian travellers as possible,” he said.
Canada’s second-largest airline announced late Saturday that it had cancelled a total of 407 flights, affecting more than 49,000 passengers.
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Canada Day is July 1. WestJet President Diederik Pen told reporters Saturday that the airline expects about 70,000 passengers a day over the long weekend. Pen said the airline can maintain a minimum level of operations with 30 to 50 aircraft and about 150 flights a day.
The strike has frustrated travelers over the long holiday weekend, with passengers complaining on social media about canceled family vacations or stuck sitting on planes.
Canadian Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has called on WestJet and the union to resolve their differences and reach an agreement.
In order to prevent the strike, O’Regan had asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to settle the contract dispute through binding arbitration.
While the board agreed to arbitration, it stated that O’Regan’s referral “does not constitute a suspension of the right to strike or lockout.”
Oestreich said the union, which has legal rights to strike, wants a negotiated deal rather than an agreement imposed by an arbitrator.
WestJet said it offered a 12.5% pay increase in the first year of the agreement and a cumulative 23% pay increase over the term of the agreement.
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