Canada: Canadian airline WestJet cancels over 400 flights after union calls surprise strike

WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, cancelled 407 flights carrying a total of 49,000 passengers after the maintenance workers’ union went on strike because negotiations over a wage dispute failed.

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association said its members began striking Friday night because the airline was “unwilling to negotiate.”

WestJet plans to park its planes over the long Canada Day weekend until Sunday and have about 30 of its 200 aircraft in service by Sunday evening.

CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech clearly attributed the situation to a “renegade union from the US” trying to expand its influence in Canada.

Von Hoensbroech stressed that from the airline’s perspective, negotiations were halted after the government ordered binding arbitration. He criticized the strike as “completely absurd,” saying, “If there is no negotiating table, there should be no strike.” He also pointed out that the union had rejected a wage offer that would have made WestJet’s mechanics “the best paid in the country.”

In an update to its members, the union’s bargaining committee pointed to a Canada Industrial Relations Board order that did not explicitly prohibit strikes or lockouts during arbitration proceedings.

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

McVeigh expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to passengers and attributed the flight disruptions to WestJet’s alleged reluctance to engage in meaningful dialogue.

At Pearson, passengers Samin Sahan and Samee Jan, who had planned a long-awaited trip to Calgary with their family, reported receiving emails requesting flight rebookings amid the confusion caused by the strike. Sahan criticized the airline’s handling of the situation, lamenting the impact on travelers and her own reputation.

Speaking to the AP news agency, Jan described the situation as “sad.”