WestJet Strike Grounds Hundreds of Flights Amid Compensation Dispute

A strike by WestJet flight attendants has disrupted air travel in Canada, with hundreds of flights cancelled since Friday. The walkout involves about 4,400 cabin crew represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is demanding a change to the compensation model that leaves flight attendants uncompensated for duties such as boarding passengers and preparing the cabin.

WestJet had offered a double-digit pay increase in the first year of a new agreement, along with compensation covering time spent before and after flights. However, the proposal was rejected by CUPE, which says flight attendants should be paid from the time they report for duty until they clock out rather than primarily for credited flight hours.

The airline operates a fleet of 165 aircraft, including 158 Boeing 737s, and had canceled about 600 flights since Friday after proactively reducing its schedule to avoid stranding aircraft and passengers across its network. Regional flights operated by WestJet Encore's De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 fleet have continued in many parts of the network.

Negotiations between WestJet and CUPE continue, with union officials saying they remain willing to return to the bargaining table if the airline improves its offer. The Canadian government has not intervened in the dispute, but labor experts say Ottawa could invoke Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code if the work stoppage continues and the disruption worsens.