Thousands of WestJet flight attendants have gone on strike after last-minute contract talks collapsed, grounding hundreds of flights and reigniting the long-running debate over how cabin crew are paid.
More than 4,400 WestJet flight attendants officially began strike action on Sunday after negotiations between the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) failed to produce a new collective agreement. The industrial action has forced Canada’s second-largest airline to cancel hundreds of flights during one of the country’s busiest summer travel weekends.
In the days leading up to the strike, WestJet had already begun proactively parking Boeing 737 aircraft and cancelling flights in an attempt to avoid stranding passengers, aircraft and crew across its network. By the time the strike began, more than 300 flights had been cancelled, with further disruption expected as the dispute continues. WestJet Encore services operated by De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 aircraft and some partner-operated codeshare flights are continuing to operate.
At the heart of the dispute is an issue that will resonate with cabin crew around the world: when does a flight attendant’s working day actually begin?
The union argues that flight attendants should be paid from the moment they report for duty until they sign off at the end of their shift. While passengers often assume cabin crew are paid throughout their entire working day, many airlines in North America still use pay systems that largely compensate crew only for flying time, rather than the hours spent boarding passengers, carrying out safety and security checks, dealing with delays, assisting customers at the gate, completing paperwork and remaining onboard after landing.
WestJet says its existing “credit hour” pay system already compensates flight attendants for work performed on the ground and that its latest offer included significant wage increases alongside hourly pay for all time worked. However, the union said the proposal still failed to properly recognise the full value of cabin crew work and rejected the offer.
The dispute has sparked widespread debate throughout the aviation industry, with many flight attendants pointing out that some of the most demanding parts of their job happen before an aircraft even leaves the gate. Boarding hundreds of passengers, resolving seating disputes, finding space for oversized cabin bags, conducting safety demonstrations, preparing the cabin for departure and responding to medical or security incidents all take place while the aircraft remains on the ground.
For passengers, the strike means significant disruption, with WestJet urging customers to check the status of their flights before travelling and offering flexible rebooking options where available. Meanwhile, both sides have said they remain willing to return to the negotiating table in the hope of reaching an agreement.
The dispute is also being closely watched by cabin crew across the globe, as similar conversations around boarding pay, unpaid duties and crew welfare continue at airlines far beyond Canada.
Confessions of a Trolley Dolly stands in solidarity with our WestJet family!
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