More than three-quarters of WestJet’s flights were cancelled Sunday, as a surprise strike by its mechanics entered its third day Sunday in the middle of the busiest weekend of the season. In all, airline tracker FlightAware estimates Canada’s second-largest carrier has cancelled nearly 700 flights since Thursday, affecting tens of thousands of travellers across the country and internationally.
The approximately 680 mechanics, whose daily inspections and repairs are essential to airline operations, went on strike Friday night after failing to reach an agreement on wages and working conditions. “Every flight cancellation we are forced to make represents hundreds of customers, who are affected by the reckless and continued actions of this union.”said Diederik Pen, WestJet president, Saturday evening.
30 operational devices compared to nearly 200 in normal times
The company estimates that it will be forced to reduce its operational fleet to 30 aircraft by Sunday evening, compared to nearly 200 in normal times. Negotiations between the two parties continued late Saturday evening with the help of an arbitrator, without success. They must resume on Sunday. On Thursday, the threat of collective action seemed to have been averted following the intervention of the federal government which had ordered binding arbitration to resolve the contractual dispute.
But maintaining that the decision did not prohibit the strike movement, the mechanics union decided to move forward Friday evening, stressing that “The airline’s refusal to negotiate made the strike inevitable”A strike notice was issued at the beginning of the month after the mechanics rejected an agreement in principle.
