What you need to know about the looming strike
The union representing WestJet flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice early Thursday
A work stoppage looms for 4,400 flight attendants at Canada's second-largest air carrier after their union issued a 72-hour strike notice early Thursday morning.
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union → need → notice
WestJet responded to the union's move by issuing a 72-hour lockout notice.
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WestJet → respond → notice
For summer travellers worried about what this means for their plans, here's what you need to know.
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you → worry → what
When could a strike or lockout begin?
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strike → begin → ?
The flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have signalled the intent to go on strike, with negotiations continuing during a 72-hour notice period.
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negotiations → represent → period
The notice period runs out on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MT, or 2:01 a.m. ET, which is the earliest a strike could begin if a deal is not reached.
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deal → run → a.m.
It's possible the two sides may come to an agreement earlier, or continue negotiating past the deadline if they are close to a deal.
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they → come → deal
WestJet said in a news release on Thursday that it is still actively negotiating to reach a deal.
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it → say → deal
In a separate release, CUPE said the same.
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CUPE → say → same
Will all WestJet flights be cancelled?
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flights → cancel → ?
WestJet has said the notices issued by the union and the airline do not immediately affect operations.
However, if the two sides are not able to come to a tentative agreement, some flights could start to be grounded by Friday.
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flights → say → Friday
WestJet said that in the coming days it will communicate with ticket-holders in advance of changes or cancellations to their flights.
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it → say → flights
Travellers booked on its regional WestJet Encore service or code-share flights run by an airline partner such as Delta Air Lines will not be affected by a strike, the carrier said.
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carrier → book → strike
What should I know about my upcoming flight?
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I → know → flight
Ahead of the potential strike, WestJet has been allowing passengers travelling between July 30 and Aug. 4 to make a one-time change or cancellation with no fees.
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passengers → allow → fees
If delays or cancellations occur, the airline said affected passengers will be refunded or re-accommodated as applicable.
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passengers → occur → ?
But only passengers with certain kinds of bookings can get a refund back to their original form of payment.
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passengers → get → payment
Those who booked PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex flights, or premium and business passengers travelling between Canada and Asia, can get their cash back, and others will get a refund in the form of a travel credit.
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others → book → credit
The airline said travellers who booked with WestJet directly will be notified of any changes through the contact information provided in their booking, and those who booked through a third party such as a travel agent will have to make changes through the third party.
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who → say → party
T.J. Dunn, a Vancouver-based travel expert and writer, says if WestJet cancels flights it has a responsibility to rebook passengers via other airlines — but that could be easier said than done on a busy summer long weekend.
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that → base → weekend
Previous labour standoffs in the aviation industry have led to increased flight cancellations a few days before a strike.
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standoffs → lead → strike
As of midday on Thursday, WestJet didn't appear to have started cancelling flights.
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WestJet → appear → flights
How did we get here?
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we → get → ?
On July 15, WestJet flight attendants approved a strike mandate if the two sides are not able to reach a deal.
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sides → approve → deal
Union members voted 99 per cent in favour of the strike mandate, with turnout topping 97 per cent.
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turnout → vote → cent
Following a cooling-off period, the cabin crew could go on strike as soon as Aug. 2, which is a long weekend in most of the country.
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which → follow → country
On July 14, CUPE held rallies across the country in a "day of action" as part of a public-relations campaign.
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CUPE → hold → campaign
At the Calgary rally, some 250 WestJet flight attendants stood side by side in front of the airline's headquarters.
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attendants → stand → headquarters
Meanwhile, ads have appeared on various platforms arguing the cabin crews' case.
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ads → appear → case
CUPE represented around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants who went on strike last summer and ultimately secured compensation increases.
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who → represent → increases
Ottawa intervened less than 12 hours after their strike began, requesting the Canada Industrial Relations Board end the strike and send the parties to binding arbitration.
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But the board's order was defied by union officials, leading it to declare the strike unlawful.
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strike → defy → it
Air Canada workers remained on the picket lines until the two sides came to a tentative deal three days into the strike.
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sides → remain → strike
Air Canada is not impacted by the WestJet strike, despite workers at both companies being represented by CUPE.
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workers → impact → CUPE
Compensation for work done on the ground remains a key stumbling block in the talks, less than a year after the same issue sparked a work stoppage by Air Canada flight attendants.
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issue → do → attendants
The union has characterized certain ground duties as unpaid, but WestJet describes it differently.
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WestJet's current "credit hour" system combines flight time, ground duties, delays and other labour into a "single, higher rate of pay" that is then credited across the work day, the company says on its website.
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company → combine → website
The pay rate ranges between $28.88 and $53.61 per credit hour, the company says.
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company → range → hour
At 80 credit hours a month — considered full-time work — that adds up to between $2,300 and $4,300.
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that → consider → 2,300
Many airlines operate under a similar structure, but Delta Air Lines spearheaded reforms in 2022 when it became the first carrier in North America to pay flight attendants specifically for work done on the ground.
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it → operate → ground
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
