Canada’s WestJet Cancels 235 Flights After Sudden Mechanics Strike

WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, said it had to cancel at least 235 flights on Saturday because the maintenance workers’ union went on strike. This affected 33,000 people. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association said that its members went on strike on Friday night because the airline was “unwilling to negotiate with the union.”

Thursday, the federal government sent an executive order for binding arbitration, which led to the strike. That came after two weeks of rough talks with the union about a new deal.

Leaders from WestJet said at a news conference in Calgary that 150 more flights could be canceled by the end of the day if the strike wasn’t stopped. When asked what caused the problem, Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the airline, said it was a “rogue union from the U.S.” trying to make gains in Canada.

From the airline’s point of view, Von Hoensbroech said that talks with the union were over once the government sent the case to formal arbitration.

WestJet Strike Called Pointless

“This makes a strike completely pointless, because the whole point of a strike is to put pressure on the other side of the bargaining table,” he said. It doesn’t make sense to go on strike if there isn’t a talking table.

Plus, the union turned down a deal that would have made the mechanics at the plane the “best paid in the country.”

During the Canada Day long weekend, there is a surprise strike that is affecting both domestic and foreign flights.

The union negotiating committee told its members about an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board that doesn’t directly say that there can’t be any strikes or lockouts while the tribunal does its arbitration work.

The WestJet aircraft repair engineer Sean McVeigh who was picketing at Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal 3 on Saturday said that the strike is an effort to get the airline to return to a “respectful negotiation.”

McVeigh said that the union is sorry for any trouble this has caused for travelers.

“However, the reason they (passengers) may have missed a flight or had to cancel is because WestJet is not respectfully sitting down at the table and negotiating,” he said on the picket line with about 20 other people. “We work hard and deserve some money for all the work we do,” he said.

Samantha Sahan and Samee Jan, two WestJet passengers at Pearson, said they were going to leave on Saturday with extended family for a trip to Calgary that they had been planning for six to eight months.

They got texts earlier in the day telling them their flight had been rescheduled for Monday, but Sahan said they still went to the terminal. They were trying to get more information and the strike made it hard to plan their trip, he said.

“Their inaction hurts a lot of people, including their own business and customers who probably won’t buy from them again,” Sahan said.

Jan said it was “sad” what was going on.

Canada’s WestJet has been around since 1996 and is known for having nice staff and low prices. It began small but quickly grew. Now, it flies to more than 100 places in Europe, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

They use new planes and put a lot of thought into making them comfortable and reliable. WestJet Rewards is an easy-to-use reward program that gives you points you can use. They have a good app that makes booking flights and checking in easy.

WestJet has great customer service. They’re friendly and willing to help, so your trip goes smoothly from beginning to end. Plus, they have lounges and seats for business visitors who want more comfort.  Overall, WestJet does a good job of adapting to market changes and maintaining its high level of service without going over budget.

Source: AP