WestJet mechanics strike averted by labor minister’s intervention

A strike by WestJet mechanics, which could have caused chaos among travelers over the upcoming long weekend, was averted.

Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. said Thursday afternoon, just hours before the strike began, that he would invoke his powers under the Canadian Labour Code to subject WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) to binding arbitration in an attempt to thwart the strike.

“As Minister of Labour, I am using my powers under the Canada Labour Code to advance the objectives of last week’s Section 80 referral and help the parties reach their first collective agreement,” he said in a statement.

“I have directed the CIRB to initiate final, binding arbitration to resolve the outstanding terms of the collective agreement.”

Both Westjet and AMFA said they would comply with the minister’s instructions.

The news means that the strike will not continue as planned at 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday, but that AMFA and WestJet will instead return to the negotiating table with CIRB, which will be tasked with finding a solution. AMFA’s mechanics will also go back to work.

“WestJet and AMFA will enter into final, binding arbitration to resolve the outstanding terms of the collective agreement. The airline acknowledges the Minister’s direction to ensure industrial peace and AMFA has confirmed that it will comply with the direction. With this in mind, there will be no strike or lockout and the airline will no longer cancel flights,” WestJet said in a statement late Thursday.

This is good news for travellers flying with WestJet over the holiday weekend in Canada, although some effects are already being felt: WestJet has cancelled nearly 30 flights for Thursday and Friday, impacting over 3,000 passengers.

According to FlightAware, WestJet has canceled a total of 30 flights for Friday (as of 7:00 a.m. EST), or about 6% of its entire flight schedule. By comparison, Air Canada has also canceled about 30 flights, also 6% of its flight schedule.

The airline now says it is restarting operations “as quickly and efficiently as possible” to minimize further impacts. The company continues to recommend that all passengers check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.