WestJet Flight Attendants Reach Tentative Labor Agreement with Airline

After a day-long strike, WestJet flight attendants have reached a tentative labor agreement with the airline and will be returning to work on Monday. The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 8125, which represents the flight attendants, and WestJet have both confirmed the end of the strike, but it is not yet clear when flights will resume. It is expected that WestJet will need some time to fully restore normal operations.

The strike, which began on Sunday, resulted in the cancellation of all 496 of WestJet’s flights, causing significant disruptions to air travel in Canada during a busy holiday weekend. The strike was authorized by the union in July, and a 72-hour strike notification was issued last week, allowing for a work stoppage if negotiations did not resume.

The main point of contention between the airline and the flight attendants was the issue of compensation for duties and hours worked outside of flights. The union argued that their members should be compensated for tasks such as boarding, deplaning, handling delays, and safety checks, which are currently not paid. WestJet, on the other hand, stated that it already has an above-standard “credit hour” system in place to compensate for extra hours worked.

Details of the new agreement have not been disclosed by either side, but CUPE officials have stated that their conditions have been met to some extent. CUPE 8125 President Alia Hussain said in a news release, “This tentative agreement represents meaningful progress. It evolves the flight credit system by recognizing more of the work cabin crew are required to perform and with general increases to compensation for that work. Most importantly, this agreement was achieved through collective bargaining at the negotiating table. ” The agreement will need to be presented to the union’s membership and ratified before it can take effect.

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech also expressed satisfaction with the tentative agreement, stating, “We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that reflects the hard work and professionalism of our cabin crew. We know this disruption has been frustrating for our guests and WestJetters and we’re sorry for that. Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we get back to normal.