Canadian airline WestJet has cancelled more than 800 flights after mechanics walked off the job, disrupting thousands of people’s plans for the long Canada Day weekend, Canadian media reported.
About 680 workers have been on strike since Friday after the Calgary-based airline and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) failed to agree on wages and working conditions.
WestJet president and CEO Diederik Pen apologised to passengers on Sunday for the “unnecessary work stoppage.” Pen said in a statement:
I am encouraged by our employees’ willingness to rise above the adversity and deliver a safe and controlled operation going forward. We continue to hold our view that the current strike serves no purpose other than to inflict maximum damage to our airline and the country.
The union decided to strike the day after Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan ordered the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to impose binding arbitration to resolve collective agreement issues between the airline and the AMFA Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. The order was issued after two weeks of negotiations with the union over a new agreement. As of Friday, the union was in dialogue with CIRB.
Earlier this month, mechanics voted to reject a tentative agreement with the Calgary-based airline, prompting WestJet to contact the government and leading to two reports of a strike issued by the union.
WestJet expressed outrage at the situation and said it would hold the union fully accountable for the inconvenience and losses caused.
The union negotiating committee in turn cited an order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, which does not prohibit strikes or lockouts during the arbitration process.
