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WestJet Strike Ends After Canadian Airline Reaches Deal With Flight Attendants
The New York Times • • business
Key Points:
- WestJet reached a tentative contract agreement with the union representing 4,400 flight attendants, ending a daylong strike that caused the cancellation of 645 flights over a long weekend in Canada.
- The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing the flight attendants, said the deal would better recognize and compensate work performed by cabin crews, though details remain undisclosed pending union member ratification.
- Flight attendants had been striking for higher wages and pay for currently unpaid ground duties like boarding and safety presentations, with picket lines formed at major Canadian airports.
- WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, is working to restore normal service after the strike impacted both domestic and international flights, including Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft.
- This strike follows a similar disruption last summer involving Air Canada flight attendants, highlighting ongoing labor tensions in Canadian aviation over compensation issues.
