WestJet Flight Attendants Go on Strike Over Pay Dispute

Flight attendants working for WestJet, the second-largest airline in Canada, initiated a strike on Sunday due to a disagreement over pay. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 4,400 cabin crew members, announced this action publicly on its Facebook page. As a result, WestJet confirmed that the strike led to the cancellation of over 300 flights early Sunday. This disrupted travel plans significantly during a three-day weekend in Canada.

A primary conflict in the negotiations focused on how flight attendants should be paid for work conducted while remaining on the ground. According to CUPE, some of this work is unpaid. In contrast, WestJet has stated its staff receives compensation through a system called ‘credit hour,’ rather than a direct hourly wage.

“We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised,” explained Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t accepted.”

Alia Hussain, who serves as the president of the union chapter representing the cabin crew, noted that negotiators worked tirelessly to secure a fair agreement that acknowledges the worth of their work. “WestJet’s offer did not go far enough,” Hussain remarked.

Both the union and the airline expressed readiness to continue negotiations to finalize an agreement. WestJet stated that its scheduled operations involving Boeing 737s or 787s could not proceed, and affected travelers would receive refunds or alternative accommodations. Those who booked directly with WestJet will get email notifications, while bookings through travel agents or third-party platforms would require contacting those sources directly. Meanwhile, WestJet Encore flights operated on a Q400, along with code-share flights managed by airline partners, remain unaffected by the strike.

A similar situation occurred last summer when Air Canada flight attendants initiated a strike. The work stoppage at Canada’s largest carrier affected over 100,000 travelers during a peak season, also related to the issue of unpaid groundwork. This strike concluded after three days with a reached agreement.