WestJet and flight-attendant union reach tentative agreement to end strike
WestJet and the CUPE 8125 flight-attendant union announced a tentative deal that would end a weekend strike that cancelled hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of passengers, pending ratification by union members.
WestJet said a tentative agreement with the CUPE 8125 flight-attendant union will end the strike that forced the airline to cancel 495 flights on Sunday, affecting travel across Canada during a long holiday weekend. The union indicated that, if ratified, the deal will recognize work performed by cabin crew before take-off, a key point of contention over unpaid ground duties.
CUPE 8125 President Alia Hussain said the agreement "represents meaningful progress" and expands the credit-hour system to cover more cabin-crew tasks while also raising overall compensation. WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech expressed that the airline was "pleased to have reached a tentative agreement" and apologized for the disruption, noting that teams were working to restore service.
The proposal from WestJet before negotiations included a 13% wage increase effective in October, annual 2.5% raises for three years, retroactive pay to the previous January, additional pay for all hours worked and benefit upgrades. Union leaders said the offer fell short of their demands. The tentative deal still requires a ratification vote by the union’s 4,400 members.
The strike, which began over disagreements about compensation for ground duties, left an estimated 250,000 travelers without flights, many of whom struggled to find accommodations or reschedule. The dispute mirrors a similar strike at Air Canada last summer that also centered on unpaid groundwork.