A surprise strike by unionized airline mechanics at WestJet has left thousands of the airline鈥檚 passengers wondering whether they will get to their destinations today after the airline cancelled more than 150 flights.
The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) announced its members started to strike around 5:30 p.m. MDT Friday because the airline鈥檚 鈥渦nwillingness to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable.鈥�
The move came after the federal government issued a ministerial order for binding arbitration on Thursday.
The order followed two weeks of turbulent discussions with the union on a new deal.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O鈥橰egan issued a brief statement on Saturday morning saying he was reviewing the order by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, calling it 鈥渃learly inconsistent鈥� with the direction he provided.鈥�
鈥淚 will be looking at additional steps to protect the interests of the employer, the union and all Canadians travelling over this national holiday weekend,鈥� said O鈥橰egan.
In an update to its membership, the union posted a letter from the board regarding its decision in which it said that the ministerial referral 鈥渄oes not have the effect of suspending the right to strike or lockout.鈥�
Calgary-based WestJet lambasted the move by the mechanics union, saying it鈥檚 鈥渆xtremely outraged at these actions and will hold AMFA 100 per cent accountable for the unnecessary stress and costs incurred as a result.鈥�
The threat of a strike seemed to recede on Thursday when WestJet said AMFA had 鈥渃onfirmed they will abide by the direction. Given this, a strike or lockout will not occur, and the airline will no longer proceed in cancelling flights.鈥�
Friday鈥檚 change in position seemed to shock travellers and executives alike.
鈥淚s my flight on Sunday in jeopardy?鈥� asked Andrew Wheatley of Edmonton in a post to X.
鈥淚 support a union鈥檚 right to strike if it鈥檚 legal. And hopefully, they will get a good deal. But at the same time, I have to be at work Monday morning,鈥� he added.
This isn鈥檛 the first time labour unrest at WestJet has affected holiday weekend travel plans. The airline averted a strike last year in the early hours of the May long weekend, but before cancelling over 230 flights and forcing thousands of people to have their travel plans changed.
- with files from Christopher Reynolds in Montr茅al and Keith Doucette in Halifax
The Canadian Press
