Strike at WestJet ends: Mechanics union and airline reach preliminary agreement

WestJet said the strike, which affected tens of thousands of travelers over the long weekend, was over after an agreement was reached with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) late Sunday.

“The damage to Canadians and our airline is enormous, and a swift resolution was necessary,” WestJet President Diederik Pen said in a statement.

“We will not see any further industrial action as a result of this dispute as both parties have agreed to resolve the contract through arbitration in the event of failed ratification.”

Strike had “significant impact”, says union

AMFA said the deal represented significant improvements over both current employment conditions and the first tentative agreement, which was rejected by its approximately 680 members.

The agreement provides for an immediate wage increase of 15.5 percent, followed by a wage increase of 3.25 percent next year and 2.5 percent in each of the last three years of the five-year period, the union said.

“Your presence at the negotiating sessions and picket lines had a significant impact on the final outcome of this trip,” the AMFA negotiating committee wrote in a statement to its members, obtained by CBC News.

A union member told CBC News they went back to work immediately after the agreement was reached to help prepare the fleet.

WestJet: Return to normality will take some time

The surprise strike, which began Friday night, caused chaos for travelers at airports across the country, with many confused about how to rebook or get a refund.

It is unclear whether flights cancelled this week due to the strike will resume.

“The airline will begin work to resume operations in a safe and timely manner,” the company said in a press release. “Given the significant impact to WestJet’s network over the past few days, the return to normal flight operations will take time and further disruption is expected in the coming week as the airline moves aircraft and crew back into position.”

In an email update to CBC News on Sunday, WestJet said 832 flights had been cancelled and an estimated 100,000 passengers were affected by the weekend strike.

The vast majority of flights on Sunday were cancelled as WestJet reduced its fleet from 180 aircraft to 32 active planes, topping the list of cancellations among major airlines worldwide over the weekend.

Trevor Temple-Murray was one of thousands of customers who rushed to rebook their trips after they were cancelled less than a day before.

“We just have to wait and see,” said the Lethbridge, Alabama, resident, who was waiting in line in the parking lot of Victoria Airport, trying to get a flight to Calgary. His wife and two-year-old son were sitting next to him in the car.

Their 6:05 p.m. flight had been cancelled and they would not find out until that evening whether the flight scheduled for the next day at 7:00 a.m. would take place.

“There are a lot of angry people there,” said Temple-Murray, pointing to the terminal.

Nearby, 10th-grade exchange student Marina Cebrian said she was supposed to be back home in Spain early Sunday, but after three flight cancellations, she will not return to her family until Tuesday.

“It’s disturbing,” she said. “I was supposed to be home today, about seven hours ago, but I’m not.”

AMFA’s decision to strike on Friday came a day after Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to initiate binding arbitration to resolve outstanding collective bargaining issues between WestJet and the union.

But the board allowed a strike even after the minister’s order.

The union said the tentative agreement was reached due to the board’s decision to maintain its right to strike.

“We believe this outcome would not have been possible without the strike, but regret the disruption and inconvenience it caused to the travelling public during the Canada Day holiday,” AMFA said in a statement early Monday morning.

The disruption of thousands of Canadians’ travel plans over the July long weekend resulted in significant costs for WestJet, and the airline announced it would hold AMFA liable.