The Dispute Centers on How Crews Are Compensated for Duties Performed While the Plane Is on the Ground

Flight attendants at WestJet, Canada’s second-biggest airline, walked off the job Sunday after contract talks collapsed over pay, grounding hundreds of flights during a holiday weekend. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 cabin crew at the carrier, said more than 4,000 attendants began striking. WestJet had canceled 309 flights as of early Sunday, after scrapping about 80 on Saturday to wind down operations ahead of the stoppage.

The dispute centers on how crews are compensated for duties performed while the plane is on the ground. The union argues some of that work is unpaid; WestJet says staff are paid through a “credit hour” system rather than an hourly rate. “We tried until the very last minute to get a fair deal that recognizes the value of the work cabin crews do, said Alia Hussain, president of CUPE Local 8125. “WestJet’s offer did not go far enough.

We are on strike because we believe we deserve better. We are ready to go back to the table to settle. We hope the federal government will not interfere and will let the bargaining process run its course.

Unpaid work is a big piece of our priorities, but we are bargaining a comprehensive contract. WestJet countered that its proposal “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. The airline said it also offered a double-digit wage increase.

WestJet, which serves more than 100 cities, said it could not operate scheduled Boeing 737 or 787 flights and that travelers would be refunded or re-accommodated. WestJet Encore Q400 flights and code-share operations with partner airlines were unaffected. Customers were told to expect updates by email.

Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, warned of wider fallout. “With a busy season of travel ahead, disruption to this essential service could impact as many as 250,000 travelers through the long weekend, with the negative repercussions being felt on Canada’s tourism economy and supply chain networks. Sources told CBC News that negotiations were still ongoing even as attendants formed picket lines outside Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

The walkout echoes last August’s strike by Air Canada flight attendants over similar pay issues; the government intervened to stop that stoppage, but attendants defied the order, leaving over 100,000 customers stranded. WestJet’s union said it hopes Ottawa will stay out this time.””””