WestJet’s Strike Causes More Flight Cancellations, Disrupting Travel Plans for Over 49,000 Passengers Until July 2nd

June 30, 2024 TruthUSA

WestJet says the ongoing strike by the mechanics union is forcing it to cancel more flights, which will disrupt the travel plans of more than 49,000 passengers over this Canada Day long weekend.

In a news release issued late Saturday night, June 29, the Calgary-based airline says the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) was continuing to strike, leaving it no choice but to proceed with further cancellations across its network that will extend to July 2.

“Every flight cancellation we are forced to issue represents hundreds of guests, who are being impacted by the continued reckless actions of this union,” said Diederik Pen, president of WestJet Airlines and chief operating officer of Westjet Group. “In the face of immense adversity, our teams are working hard and delivering a safe and controlled operation.”

The airline initiated flight cancellations on June 26 to prepare for the threat of strike by the AMFA. The union, however, argued that the carrier’s “unwillingness to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable.”

Airplane mechanics hit the pickets the evening of June 28.

It was a surprise move by the 680-odd WestJet workers, coming a day after federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan issued an order for binding arbitration on June 27.

That followed two weeks of turbulent discussions between the carrier and the union on a new deal, after the union announced June 12 that more than 97 percent of eligible members voted down a tentative agreement that had been reached on May 5.

‘Misuse of the Right to Strike’

The airline has cancelled a total of 407 flights between Thursday, June 27, and Tuesday, July 2, according to its June 29 news release, with 282 trips being called off on June 29 alone. In addition, the release indicated 68 flights cancelled on June 30, 11 on July 1, and 3 on July 2.

“WestJet will continue parking aircraft throughout the remainder of the evening and tomorrow Sunday, June 30, 2024, working to safely reduce its operating fleet to approximately 30 aircraft by tomorrow evening,” the news release said.

Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of WestJet, took to his LinkedIn page on June 29, saying the union’s decision to call for a strike despite Mr. O’Regan’s arbitration order “is a misuse of the right to strike.”

“Strikes and lockouts are important and legitimate tools to apply pressure during collective bargaining processes,” he wrote. “However, once the parties are in arbitration, there is no more bargaining taking place, so a strike no longer influences the outcome.”

Mr. von Hoensbroech added that the AMFA, which represents the carrier’s aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) and technical operations team, is engaged in “bad faith actions.”

“By still going on strike, the union [AMFA] is doing nothing more than creating damage and disrupting potentially hundreds of thousands of guests, without any benefit for their membership.”

‘Sacred’ Right

In an update to its members on June 29, the AMFA referenced a June 28 order by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) stating that the minister’s arbitration order “does not have the effect of suspending the right to strike or lockout.”

Then on June 30, the union reiterated its stance, saying the CIRB ruled “yet again” on June 29 that “the AMEs have a right to withhold their labour.”

“Although the compulsory arbitration imposed by the Minister of Labour is scheduled to move forward on an expedited basis, the CIRB has held that, until that process is completed, we are entitled to continue our legal strike,” AMFA said in its update, adding that the AMEs’ right to strike is a “sacred” right under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In a statement posted on X on June 29, Mr. O’Regan noted that the board is independent of the government and that while he respected its decision-making authority, he would meet with the negotiating parties later that day to discuss the matter.

In a later post on the same day, the minister said he had met with WestJet and AMFA and asked them to work together with the CIRB to resolve their differences and get their first agreement done.

“There’s a lot at stake here. Canadians need this resolved,” he said.

The Associated Press and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

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