WestJet strike: more flight cancellations

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WestJet canceled nearly 700 flights, upending the plans of nearly 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day Sunday, during the busiest travel weekend of the season.

The approximately 680 workers, whose daily inspections and repairs are essential to airline operations, walked off the job Friday night despite a binding arbitration directive from the federal labor minister.

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Since Thursday, tracking service FlightAware shows that WestJet has cancelled 687 flights scheduled between then and the end of the Canada Day long weekend.

As of Sunday morning, 77% of the day’s trips had been canceled, with WestJet leading the global list of cancellations among major airlines on Saturday and Sunday.

Westjet flights from Montreal cancelled Sunday include a 2:20 p.m. flight to Winnipeg, a 5 p.m. departure to Calgary and a 9:15 p.m. overnight flight to Edmonton. An 8:20 a.m. flight to Vancouver on Monday is also cancelled.

Both the airline and the Airplane Mechanics Fraternal Association accused the other side of refusing to negotiate in good faith.

WestJet Airlines president Diederik Pen highlighted what he called the “continued reckless actions” of a union that was making “blatant efforts” to disrupt Canadians’ travel plans, while the union said the Calgary-based company had refused to respond to its latest counter-proposal. In an update to members Sunday, the organization said members were “victims of WestJet’s vicious public relations campaign that you are lawbreakers,” citing “smears” against workers regarding their right to strike.

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The pressure tactics come after union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative deal with WestJet earlier this month and after two weeks of tense negotiations between the two sides.

As time ticked down to Friday’s strike deadline, the impasse prompted Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan to intervene, demanding that WestJet and the union undertake binding court-led arbitration of the country’s work.

This process generally makes it possible to avoid a work stoppage. WestJet believes this, saying the union has “confirmed that it will comply with the directive.”

“Under these conditions, no strike or lockout will take place and the airline will no longer cancel flights,” the airline said on Thursday.

The mechanics took a different view. The union negotiating committee said it would “comply with the minister’s order and ask its members to refrain from any illegal actions.” Less than 24 hours later, workers were on the picket line.

A decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board on Thursday appears to affirm the legality of their actions, regardless of typical arbitration protocols.

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“The board concludes that the ministerial referral does not have the effect of suspending the right to strike or lockout,” the court wrote.

The Labour Minister said on Saturday the council’s decision was “clearly inconsistent” with the direction he had given, but O’Regan later added he respected the body’s independence.

The two sides were scheduled to meet Sunday morning, the union said.

Not everyone was upset by the weekend’s work turbulence.

“We are seeing a huge increase in bookings, likely driven by passengers scrambling to save money for their long weekends,” said Kim Bowie, a spokeswoman for Flair Airlines.

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