If you booked a WestJet flight for this week, it might be cancelled.
At midnight on Wednesday, the airline released a statement saying it has started cancelling and consolidating flights in preparation for possible strike action by WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Tech Ops employees.
In the coming 48 hours, the carrier says it will be parking aircraft in a phased and safe approach, resulting in around 40 cancellations between Tuesday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 19. The cancellations will impact around 6,500 passengers.
WestJet says this action enables proactive communication with guests and crew to minimize the potential for being stranded. It also ensures the airline avoids abandoning aircraft at remote locations.
In preparation for labour action by WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Tech Ops employees, @WestJet has started cancelling and consolidating flights.
We deeply regret any disruption this will have on our guests’ travel plans.
Read more: https://t.co/dzp0yDSUDW
— WestJet News (@WestJetNews) June 19, 2024
Potential labour action
According to the statement, the decision to cancel flights comes as the WestJet Group awaits a response on behalf of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to intervene under the Canada Labour Code.
If accepted, this action would refer the airline and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the union representing WestJet maintenance workers, to arbitration for a first collective agreement and prevent labour action by either party.
“We are immensely disheartened that we are in a position where we must activate our contingency plan and begin parking aircraft as a result of the strike notice served by AMFA,” said Diederik Pen, president of WestJet Airlines and Group chief operating officer, in a statement.
“We deeply regret the disruption this will have on the travel plans of our guests, communities and businesses that rely on our critical air service.”
AMFA said it issued the strike notice on June 17 after WestJet “refused to proceed with negotiations” scheduled for June 19 and 20 in Calgary.
“We are left with only one response. It is time to march, demonstrate, and lobby your elected officials,” reads a statement from the AMFA-WestJet negotiating committee.
AMFA has served the airline with legal notice of the bargaining unit’s intention to strike beginning at 9 pm EST on June 20.
“Following the memberships’ nearly unanimous decision to reject a generous tentative agreement that would have made our Aircraft Maintenance Engineers the highest paid in the country, with a take-home pay increase of 30 to 40% in the first year of the proposed agreement, it is clear that the bargaining process has broken down,” responded Pen.
What to do if you have an upcoming WestJet flight
The airline says it’s making every effort to re-accommodate impacted guests.
It advises travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. For more information on flight status, travel changes, and more, visit WestJet’s Guest Updates page.
How have you been affected by these cancellations? Share your story with us via email at [email protected]. We might contact you for a future article.