WestJet cabin crew go on strike, over 300 flights canceled
What's the story
WestJet, Canada's second-largest airline, has witnessed a strike by its flight attendants. The action was taken after the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 4,400 cabin crew members at WestJet, failed to reach an agreement on pay. The strike comes during the busy summer travel season and has already resulted in over 300 flight cancellations.
Disagreement
Main issue behind strike
The main point of contention in the strike is how flight attendants are compensated for their work on the ground.
The union claims that some of this work goes unpaid, while WestJet insists its staff is compensated through a "credit hour" system instead of an hourly rate.
In response to the failed negotiations, CUPE announced a strike on its Facebook page without providing further details.
Airline's stance
WestJet canceled all scheduled Boeing 737, 787 flights
WestJet confirmed the strike and said it remains focused on keeping lines of communication open for an agreement with the union.
The airline has canceled all its scheduled flights on Boeing 737s and 787s, promising refunds or re-accommodations to travelers.
However, not all operations are affected as WestJet Encore flights operate on a Q400 jet, along with code-share flights by airline partners which continue unaffected.
Past incidents
Similar situation last year with Air Canada
Notably, last summer, Air Canada's flight attendants went on strike over the same issue of groundwork compensation.
The strike affected over 100,000 travelers during the peak travel season and lasted three days before an agreement was reached.
The Canadian government had intervened to prevent this strike last year but it was defied by flight attendants.