Canada

WestJet Flight Attendants Issue Strike Notice Over Unpaid Ground Work Dispute

Flight attendants at Canada’s second-largest airline, WestJet, have issued the Calgary-based carrier a 72-hour strike notice over a raging dispute over crew members being forced to work ‘for free’ after months of contract negotiations ended in an impasse between the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Earlier this month, more than 4,000 WestJet flight attendants overwhelmingly backed strike action if the airline refused to pay them for the time that they are at work but not actually flying. Over 99.4% of flight attendants voted to support a walkout on a turnout of 97.3% of CUPE members. Under Canadian law, the union then had to enter into a 21-day cooling-off period, meaning that the earliest date that crew members can stage a crippling strike is August 2. At the heart of the dispute is the fact that traditionally, flight attendants in Canada have only been paid during the time that the plane is in motion, from the point that the aircraft pushes back from the gate to when it arrives at its destination. That means that flight attendants are effectively ‘working for free’ during boarding, which is often seen as one of the busiest and most stressful parts of the job. If a flight is delayed on the ground, flight attendants have to continue working without pay. The so-called ‘block hours’ approach to paying flight attendants was, until only recently, the dominant pay structure for flight attendants across North America. That, however, began to change in 2022, when Delta Air Lines became the first major carrier to offer ‘boarding pay’ at 50% of the usual flying pay rate. In the last few years, a slew of other carriers have followed suit, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and several smaller regional carriers. Last Summer, flight attendants at Air Canada also secured boarding pay for the first time after a messy walkout, which flight attendants continued even after the government attempted to order crew members back to work. The CUPE union has warned the Carney government not to intervene and “respect the collective bargaining process between WestJet and its flight attendants.” In a statement issued on Thursday, Alia Hussain, President of the local CUPE 8125 union, which represents WestJet flight attendants, said: “We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal.” “The strike notice does not mean flight attendants want to go on strike. CUPE 8125 has been clear throughout negotiations that its goal is to reach a fair agreement without disrupting passengers or the travelling public,” the statement continued. “There's still time to avoid a strike,” Hussain added. “We want a fair contract for our members that recognizes the value of flight attendants' work and recognizes our position as employees of the second-largest carrier in Canada.” Hussain is calling on WestJet to re-enter into negotiations and reach a deal. If one cannot be reached, however, passengers should expect widespread disruption. In response to the strike notice, WestJet has issued its own 72-hour lockout notice. What that means is that flight attendants will be prevented from attending to work, even if they want to, cutting them off from pay. The other consequence of a lockout notice is that WestJet will not be able to operate. No flight attendants will be able to work, and the airline will have no other option but to ground its entire fleet, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. “The decision to issue a lockout notice, in response to the actions taken by the union, was not one that was made lightly. We sincerely regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this continues to cause for our guests," commented WestJet chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech. “Our commitment remains at the bargaining table, where we will continue to work around the clock to come to an agreement that provides value and meaningful improvements for our Cabin Crew and is sustainable for our company,” von Hoensbroech added. The amount of time that WestJet has to reach a deal is, in reality, less than 72 hours. If a deal can’t be reached in the next day or so, the airline will have to start activating plans to bring planes back to their respective bases before the strike starts. Without a deal, the only way that mass disruption can be avoided is if the government intervenes and orders flight attendants to turn up to work. However, as we saw last summer, Air Canada flight attendants and their union leaders were willing to disregard that order, risking jail time. Air Canada flight attendants secured boarding pay at an initial 50% of the normal pay rate, rising to 60% in 2026, 65% in 2027, and then topping out at 70% in 2028.