WestJet flight attendants begin strike over pay dispute

Flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees walked off the job at WestJet on Sunday, leading the airline to cancel over 300 flights and disrupt travel across Canada during a three-day weekend. The union, which covers about 4,400 cabin crew members, said the dispute centers on how staff are paid for work performed while the aircraft is on the ground. The airline argues its "credit hour" system compensates employees, while the union contends that some of that time is unpaid.

"We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group.

"WestJet’s offer did not go far enough," said Alia Hussain, president of the union chapter representing the cabin crew.

Both parties indicated a willingness to resume talks. WestJet said it cannot operate scheduled Boeing 737 or 787 flights, but that Encore Q400 services and code-share flights with partner airlines will continue. Passengers with direct bookings will be contacted by email, while those who booked through agents are advised to contact their providers for refunds or re-booking.

The strike follows a similar walkout by Air Canada flight attendants last summer, which halted service for three days and involved comparable concerns over ground-work compensation.