Summary
- WestJet canceled 150 flights, impacting 20,000 travelers due to the AMFA weekend strike.
- WestJet to park aircraft and operate on a reduced schedule amid strike negotiations.
- AMFA’s strike caused disappointment and financial harm to WestJet and its passengers.
The second-largest Canadian airline, WestJet, has announced substantial flight cancelations for June 29, 2024, in response to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) commencing a strike on a long weekend in Canada. With July 1 falling on a Monday, a national holiday for Canada Day, the airline group highlighted that over 250,000 passengers had booked tickets for the long weekend.
Roughly 20,000 impacted travelers
The airline has already canceled 150 flights, impacting approximately 20,000 travelers. According to their estimates, there are limited re-accommodation options available. The Calgary-based carrier stated that additional cancelations are expected on Saturday if the strike is not called off or immediate intervention does not occur.
It is worth noting that between June 27 and June 28, WestJet had already canceled 25 flights, affecting approximately 3,300 passengers. Commenting on the disruption, Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer, said:
“A strike serves no one, as this negotiation has already been referred to binding arbitration. We know how painful this is for our guests and our people; however, we must start the immediate and safe parking of our aircraft.”
Photo: Welshboy2020 | Shutterstock
Starting June 29, WestJet will start parking aircraft at stations across Canada, aiming to operate a significantly reduced schedule by the end of the day. The airline currently operates a fleet of 134 aircraft, including 127 Boeing 737s and seven Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebodies, as per Planespotters.net data.
Seeking responsibility
In its statement, WestJet expressed disappointment over the AMFA strike, holding the labor union accountable for what it described as “reckless actions.” Pen added:
“The scale of this deliberate disruption is devastating, and AMFA must be held accountable for their reckless actions. Without immediate intervention, significant disruption will unnecessarily harm tens of thousands of Canadians along with the entire economic ecosystem that depends on our critical air service.”
WestJet mechanics initiated their strike the day after Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to enforce binding arbitration to resolve outstanding issues in the collective agreement between the airline and Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA).
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
In a statement on Thursday, AMFA remarked that the minister’s action lacked modern precedent. This directive came after two weeks of contentious negotiations with the union regarding a new agreement.
In response to a second strike notice by the AMFA on June 25, 2024, WestJet said:
“WestJet presented a revised industry leading offer, which would see WestJet AME’s [aircraft maintenance engineers – ed. note] receive a 22 per cent increase over four years, making them by far the best paid AMEs in Canada. The union’s ask exceeds this mark by a long shot and remains unreasonable.”
Related
WestJet Locks Out Mechanics After Getting Strike Notice During Bargaining
WestJet’s maintenance technicians’ strike authorization vote is valid until July 9, 2024.
What are your thoughts on this? Has your flight been affected by the strike? Let us know in the comments section below.