CALGARY — WestJet executives said Saturday afternoon at a news conference in Calgary that 235 flights had already been canceled by midday, affecting some 33,000 passengers, and that another 150 flights were possible. be canceled by the end of the day if no solution is found to the walkout.
The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) said its members began striking around 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday because “the airline’s reluctance to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable.
The move comes as the federal government on Thursday ordered binding arbitration to resolve the dispute between the airline and its mechanics.
For two weeks, difficult discussions have been held with the union with a view to a new collective agreement.
In an update to its 680 members, the union’s negotiating committee referred to a Canada Industrial Relations Board order that does not explicitly prohibit strikes or lockouts as the tribunal begins arbitration following Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan’s directive Wednesday.
On Saturday morning, Mr. O’Regan said he was reviewing the Canada Industrial Relations Board’s order since it is not “consistent” with his instructions. “I will consider additional measures to protect the interests of the employer, the union and all Canadians who travel during this national holiday weekend,” he said on the social network X.
Officials with Calgary-based WestJet blasted the mechanics’ union’s decision Friday, saying they are “extremely outraged by these actions,” and saying they will hold AMFA “fully responsible for the unnecessary stress and costs that result.” “.
Early Saturday, WestJet President Diederik Pen said in a statement that this strike “serves no one” and that “the scale of this deliberate disruption is devastating.”
“We are outraged. I want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to resolve this problem,” he added.
On Thursday, WestJet said the AMFA was complying with the arbitration order and that as a result, “there will be no strike or lockout and the airline will no longer cancel flights.”
Sean McVeigh, a WestJet aircraft maintenance engineer who was on the picket line at Terminal 3 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Saturday, said the strike was an attempt to force the airline to return to “bargaining respectful,” adding that the union regretted any inconvenience caused to passengers.
“The reason they (passengers) may have missed a flight or had to cancel is because WestJet is not respectfully sitting at the table and negotiating,” he said alongside about twenty other people on the picket line.
He stressed that employees were demanding better working conditions and a “fair and respectful salary” since they assume “a lot of responsibilities”.
Earlier this month, mechanics overwhelmingly rejected a tentative deal with WestJet, prompting the airline to seek government intervention.
Had they accepted the offer, WestJet mechanics would have become the “highest paid in the country,” according to the company’s CEO, Alexis Von Hoensbroech.
The latter blamed the situation on the “rogue union from the United States” which is trying to establish itself in Canada.
“This strike is totally absurd, because the reason we are going on strike is because we need to put pressure on the people at the negotiating table. If there is no negotiation table, it makes no sense, there should not be a strike,” commented Mr. Von Hoensbroech.
“The fault lies with management, not the union”
Gabor Lukacs, president of the air passenger rights group, believes that “the fault lies with management, not the union.”
“From a business management perspective, WestJet has not handled the situation well and needs to address the situation,” he said in a telephone interview.
He said WestJet has a legal obligation to find alternative travel arrangements for stranded passengers within 48 hours, either on another of its flights or with a competitor.
People can also request a refund, but Mr. Lukacs advises against it.
“I urge passengers not to accept a refund. If you accept a refund, WestJet can wash its hands of its obligations to you.”
The change in position on Friday appeared to shock both travelers and executives.
“Is my Sunday flight in danger?” asked Andrew Wheatley, of Edmonton, in a message on the social network X. “I support a union’s right to strike if it is legal. And I hope he gets a good deal. But at the same time, I have to be at work Monday morning,” he added.
This isn’t the first time WestJet has been on the brink of a strike. Last year, the airline avoided a strike in the early hours of the May long weekend, but before canceling more than 230 flights and forcing thousands to change their travel plans.
