Photo Credit: webpage CUPE 8125
The August Long weekend just got rougher for people flying WestJet since more than 4,000 cabin crew members officially went on strike at midnight on Saturday.
WestJet cabin crew are represented by CUPE 8125. The union took issue with unpaid work and poor scheduling. CUPE 8125 stated that WestJet workers performed up to 35 hours of unpaid work each month, and that members are looking for more scheduling protections, including improved minimum rest periods.
Although not a base location for WestJet, members part of the union in Saskatoon are also on strike.
On Friday the union gave a 72-hour strike notice, with WestJet issuing a 72-hour lockout notice shortly after.
In an attempt to avoid a strike, the air carrier presented an offer to the union late last night. The agreement attempted to address the unions issues by introducing duty pay premiums and changes to scheduling into the agreement. In the end the union turned the offer down.
As of Sunday, there have been a total of 309 flight cancellations over the August long weekend because of the strike, with more expected to come.
WestJet estimates that there are about 250,000 guests impacted by the strike. The airline is offering refunds or reaccommodation’s to those guests when applicable.
Guests who booked directly with WestJet can expect to get updates by email. Those who did not book through WestJet will need to check with the agency they booked with for updates.
