By
BERNARD CONDON
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
Flight attendants with WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, went on strike Sunday in a dispute over pay
The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents the 4,400 cabin crew at the airline. It announced the strike on its Facebook page but did not provide further details. The company had canceled more than 300 flights as of early Sunday, snarling travel plans in Canada in the middle of a three-day weekend
WestJet confirmed the strike and said its focus remains on staying available for the union to reach an agreement
A key issue in the dispute was how flight attendants should be paid for duties performed while still on the ground. The union said some of that work is unpaid, while the company said its staff was indeed compensated, citing pay through a “credit hour” system rather than an hourly rate
“We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t accepted.”
The airline said it could not operate any of its scheduled flights on Boeing 737s or 787s, and travelers will be refunded or reaccommodated. WestJet said it would contact people who reserved with them directlyd-party platform should reach out to them
WestJet Encore flights operated on a Q400, as well as code-share flights operated by airline partners, remain unaffected.
Dry, hot summers are putting Dutch dikes at risk and threatening German river trade
4 MIN READ
Trump says he will order halt to Iran strikes after parameters reached for deal to end war
3 MIN READ
Iran’s leaders show a united front over the war but are divided over what the goal is
6 MIN READ
Last summer, flight attendants at Air Canada, the country’s largest carrier, stranded more than 100,000 travelers during peak travel season with a strike partly over the same issue of groundwork. That work stoppage lasted three days before the sides came to an agreement
Associated Press writer Jim Morris in Vancouver, British Columbia contributed to this report
BERNARD CONDON
