One of Canada’s largest airlines, WestJet, has publicized that it will be canceling roughly 40 flights in expectation of a possible strike by its plane maintenance workforce. The unexpected decision came with little sign and has left thousands of travelers scrambling to make alternate travel arrangements, sparking outrage among those affected. It’s projected that around 670 WestJet mechanics (represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association) are set to walk off from work this week. The union presented the airline with a strike announcement following prolonged months of tough negotiations. The union overwhelmingly voted against a tentative contract and said they are ready to initiate a work strike as early as Thursday evening.
In a newly issued press release, the airline states that this action [of canceling flights] allows active communication with guests and crew to minimize the possibility of being stranded and safeguards the airline can avoid abandoning aircraft in remote locations. The verdict to cancel flights comes as the Calgary-based Corporation, the WestJet Group, waits for a reply from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) as to whether or not they will interfere under the Canada Labour Code. If acknowledged, this action would refer both WestJet and AMFA to mediation for a first collective arrangement and prevent labor action by either party.
We are immensely dismayed that we are in a situation where we must activate our contingency plan and start parking airplanes, as an outcome of the strike notice served by AMFA. We extremely regret the interruption this will have on the travel plans of our clients, societies, and businesses that trust our critical air service, said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group COO. Following the associations’ nearly unanimous result to discard a generous tentative contract that would have made our Aircraft Maintenance Engineers the highest salaried in the country, with a take-home pay upsurge of 30 to 40 percent in the primary year of the anticipated agreement, it is clear that the negotiating process has crashed. Thus far, this has resulted in approximately 40 cancellations, with 6,500 passengers obstructed. The airline has said that in the next 48 hours, they will securely park aircraft, in a slow, phased, and safe approach. WestJet says it’s trying to rebook affected passengers on substitute flights. You can check the WestJet website for flight information and the position of your flight. Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), travelers may be permitted to compensation for flight postponements and cancellations within the airline’s control. However, according to WestJet’s website, the guidelines consider labor interruptions to be outside the carrier’s control, possibly exempting WestJet from having to pay compensation in this case. The website conditions that: “Under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) a labor disturbance within the carrier or a crucial service provider is considered outside of air transporter control. As a result, any interruption in travel plans owing to work stoppage or strike is not qualified for compensation under APPR.”
