WestJet cancels hundreds of flights following surprise mechanic union strike

An unexpected strike by WestJet’s unionized airline mechanics left tens of thousands of passengers scrambling for travel plans Saturday after the airline canceled hundreds of flights.

The Fraternal Association of Aircraft Mechanics (AMFA) announced that its members walked off the job around 5:30pm 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 binding arbitration ministerial order on Thursday following two weeks of tumultuous talks with the union over a new agreement.

WestJet executives said at a news conference in Calgary that 235 flights had already been canceled by mid-day Saturday, affecting about 33,000 passengers, with the possibility of another 150 flights canceled by the end of the day if the problem was not resolved.

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

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

The airline’s CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, blamed the situation squarely on what he said was a “rogue US union” trying to make inroads into Canada.

Von Hoensbroech said that as far as the airline was concerned, negotiations with the union ended once the minister directed the dispute to binding arbitration.

“This makes a strike totally absurd because the reason you strike is because you have to put pressure on the bargaining table,” he said. “If there is no bargaining table, it doesn’t make sense, there shouldn’t be a strike.”

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

Meanwhile, federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan appeared to be struggling with the strike and its aftermath.

He issued a brief statement Saturday morning, saying he was reviewing the order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board and described it as “clearly inconsistent” with the direction it provided. But a new statement later in the day said it respected the authority of the board, which it noted was independent of the government. He intended to meet the two sides later, he added.

In an update to its 680 members, the union posted a letter from the board about its decision saying the ministerial referral “does not have the effect of suspending the right to strike or lockout”.

The threat of a strike appeared to have subsided on Thursday when WestJet said the AMFA had “confirmed that it will comply with the direction. With this in mind, a strike or lockout will not take place and the airline will not cancel any more flights.”

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

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

“I support a union’s right to strike if it’s legal. And I hope they get a good deal. But at the same time, I have to be at work on Monday morning,” he added.

Sean McVeigh, a WestJet aircraft maintenance engineer picketing Saturday at Toronto Pearson International Airport’s Terminal 3, said the strike is an attempt to force the airline to return to “respectful bargaining.”

McVeigh said the union regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers.

“However, the reason they (passengers) have lost a flight or had to cancel is because WestJet will not respectfully sit down at the table and negotiate,” he said alongside about 20 people in the picket line.

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

“We take a lot of responsibility and we would just like to be financially appreciated,” he said.

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

Gabor Lukacs, president of the advocacy group Air Passenger Rights, said that as it stands, the union is participating in a legal strike.

“I think the blame here lies at the feet of management and not the union,” Lukacs said in a phone interview. “From a business management perspective, they (WestJet) have not handled the situation well and they have to face the music.”

He said WestJet is required by law to find stranded passengers alternative travel arrangements within 48 hours, either on another of its flights or with a competitor.

People can also ask for a refund, though Lukacs said he doesn’t recommend doing that.

“I would urge passengers not to get a refund unless they are absolutely sure they don’t want to travel,” he said. “If you receive a refund, then WestJet can wash its hands of its obligations to you.”

Pen said WestJet will comply with the regulations and reimburse passengers while offering hotel stays to those who are stranded. In addition, he said the airline “cannot offer any further compensation”.

This isn’t the first time labor unrest at WestJet has affected travel plans over the holiday weekend. The airline avoided a strike last year in the early hours of the May long weekend, but not before canceling more than 230 flights and forcing thousands to change their travel plans.

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

– with files from Christopher Reynolds in Montreal

Keith Doucette and Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press