WestJet and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have reached a tentative deal, ending a strike that has led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, both sides said early Monday.
CUPE, which represents 4,400 flight attendants with the Calgary-based airline, sought pay for its members from the time they check in until they clock out, instead of mostly just for time when their aircraft is in motion.
The deal ends the work stoppage — which had left passengers stranded and in limbo — during the busy summer travel season after flight attendants walked off the job Sunday.
WestJet didn’t disclose details of the tentative agreement, which will be presented to cabin crew for a ratification vote.
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu confirmed the tentative pact on X, saying “the federal government and Canadians welcome the news that the parties have reached a deal together, at the bargaining table.”
Kenny MacKay’s wedding plans were thrown into chaos after the WestJet flight attendants’ strike left family members on both sides struggling to find replacement flights to Nova Scotia. The airline and union announced Monday they have reached a tentative deal to end the strike.
At a news conference with reporters in Calgary on Monday, CUPE 8125 president Alia Hussain said she won’t be releasing details yet; her team plans to show the tentative agreement to the union’s members before sharing them with the wider public.
Still, Hussain said WestJet’s longstanding credits system will be expanded to recognize more of the work flight attendants are expected to do and to increase compensation.
Hussain called the agreement “meaningful.”
“The puzzle pieces came together,” Hussain told reporters on Monday.
“Today’s not the end of the process,” she said, adding they have up to 30 days to ratify the deal.
Timing for flights to resume
It isn’t immediately known when flights will resume fully, but WestJet has confirmed it’s restoring its flight schedule.
The company has also extended the window for a one-time change or cancellation for passengers to Thursday.
But John Gradek, faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University in Montreal, said it will likely take a few days.
“It’s about time,” Gradek said of the tentative deal, noting that some 225,000 Canadians were affected by WestJet flight cancellations this weekend.
Gradek said the August long weekend — and particularly the holiday Monday — represents the busiest time in the summer for WestJet.
“Today is shot. Things are going to need to get fixed up.”
WestJet and the union representing its flight attendants say they’ve reached a potential deal that has ended a strike over better pay conditions that prompted the airline to cancel hundreds of flights since Aug. 1. While that’s welcome news for air travellers, some WestJet passengers caught in the brief dispute say they’re still in the dark about what comes next.
Canadians who’ve been affected should remain “on guard” and keep checking the latest status of their flights, said Shalene Dudley, a Toronto-based travel agent and CEO of Latitude Concierge Travel.
“It’s a scary place to be, especially when you’re celebrating something like a wedding.”
Experts also suggest travellers get to know whether their travel insurance or credit card insurance cover labour disputes.
When it comes to domestic travel in Canada, it’s worth noting that airlines are only on the hook for air travel; they don’t have a regulatory obligation to help passengers with other expenses accrued during delays and cancellations. That’s because a labour disruption due to strikes or lockouts is considered to be outside the airline’s control.
Travellers who’ve been stranded internationally, however, are entitled to more compensation, such as hotels and meals.
“That’s something the domestic passenger doesn’t have,” Gradek told CBC News by phone.
Travel situation called a ‘gong show’
Kevin Stefan has been stranded in Copenhagen with his wife. After not hearing anything for about 24 hours, the couple finally received an email on Monday confirming a new flight, operated by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), into Boston on Wednesday.
The pair will travel home to Calgary via WestJet, he said.
“So, good news as long as the strike is resolved and SAS actually has our flight unlike last time,” Stefan said.
WestJet has resumed flights after the airline and the union representing flight attendants reached a tentative deal, ending a one-day strike. But the interruptions to flight plans are likely to continue for passengers for days.
WestJet communications said the couple were previously rebooked on a different SAS flight, but the Scandinavian carrier couldn’t find their tickets.
The two have had to move between hotels as their time in Copenhagen has dragged on.
“We’ve been told we can bill WestJet for the room and expenses,” Stefan said. “We’ll see what happens. I’ll believe we are being reimbursed the second I see the cash and not one second sooner.”
Stefan said he’s spoken with other stranded travellers and one descriptor keeps coming up: “gong show.”
“It’s been pretty exhausting. We have to simultaneously live like we’re staying here for days and like we’re getting on an airplane in a few hours. We both have a cold, which adds to the miserable factor.”
Now, the couple are hopeful they’ll finally get to travel back home on Wednesday.
Still, Stefan said that he and his wife don’t blame the flight attendants.
“They should be paid for their hours worked.”
Some insight into tentative pact
In a statement Monday, the union said that the deal, if ratified, would “improve upon the legacy flight credit system by introducing a duty period premium that recognizes more of the work cabin crew are required to perform,” and also increases compensation for that work.
“This tentative agreement represents meaningful progress,” CUPE Local 8125 president Alia Hussain said in a statement. “It evolves the flight credit system by recognizing more of the work cabin crew are required to perform and with general increases to compensation for that work.
“To our members, thank you for your solidarity throughout this process. We also want to thank the public, labour organizations and everyone who supported cabin crew as we worked toward a fair resolution.”
CBC News spoke to a passenger who has been visiting St. John’s from Toronto and was affected by the strike.
While at the St. John’s International Airport, Maddie Young said her direct flight to Toronto was cancelled and WestJet rebooked her on a flight that included five layover stops, spread out over two days.
“I’d just like to get a more direct flight, so I can get back to work soon.”
Young added that she hasn’t been able to get through to WestJet by phone, even when she’s called in the middle of the night.
For now, Young said, she booked a direct flight with a different airline — but she hasn’t been able to cancel her multi-stop, two-day trip back to Toronto with WestJet.
“I’m hoping to get through to someone.”
Despite the headache, Young voiced support for WestJet flight attendants.
“I’m happy that the strike is over, and I’m hopeful flight attendants got what they were looking for.”
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