Over the Canada Day long weekend, thousands of air travelers experienced disruptions to their plans as WestJet Airlines abruptly cancelled over 350 flights due to an unexpected strike by its unionized mechanics.
WestJet reported that more than 30,000 passengers were affected by flight cancellations on Saturday alone. The impact could potentially extend to an additional 250,000 travelers if the strike persists through the holiday weekend.
The strike, initiated by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), led to hundreds of WestJet mechanics walking off the job starting Friday evening following the issuance of a strike notice.
At Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, travelers congregated anxiously around WestJet’s Terminal 3 booth on Saturday, hoping to learn the status of their flights. Among them were Villamor Torres and Mary Jane Herrera, who came to the airport after struggling to rebook their cancelled flight over the phone. They had planned to start their vacation in the Cayman Islands but received an email notifying them of the cancellation at 9:40 a.m.
“We’re trying to figure out what to do—we’re in the middle of getting a new flight but they said if we get a new flight they won’t compensate us,” Ms. Herrera lamented.
The scene at the airport was chaotic, with passengers like Amy Morris and her family facing uncertainty about their plans. Visiting from Atlanta, Georgia, they had planned a hiking trip in Banff but were unsure when they would reach Calgary after their flight was cancelled during a connecting stop in Toronto.
“It’s chaos,” Ms. Morris remarked. “We had a hiking trip planned tomorrow in Banff, we lose the entire first day at least…it’s not a great introduction to Canada.”
However, not all travelers faced cancellations. Dave Johnson, President of the Bowling Association of Ontario, expressed relief that his flight to Winnipeg with 40 other players remained unaffected.
“We had no problems with our flight so far,” Johnson said, noting his surprise that operations were proceeding smoothly despite the strike.
Meanwhile, at Pearson’s Terminal 3, WestJet aircraft maintenance engineer Sean McVeigh, among approximately 20 others, picketed in protest, emphasizing the union’s desire for the airline to engage in more respectful negotiations.
“However, the reason they [passengers] have possibly missed a flight or had to cancel is due to the reason that WestJet is not respectfully sitting down at the table and negotiating,” McVeigh explained. “We take on a lot of responsibility and we would just like to be appreciated financially.”
The strike continued to cause disruptions throughout the holiday weekend, leaving many travelers in limbo as they waited for updates and resolutions from WestJet.
WestJet warned that an additional 150 flights could face cancellation by the end of Saturday if the labor dispute remained unresolved.
“We are extremely outraged at these actions and will hold AMFA 100 per cent accountable for the unnecessary stress and costs incurred as a result,” stated WestJet Airlines president Diederik Pen in a released statement.
The union responded, blaming WestJet’s unwillingness to negotiate for the inevitable strike and accusing the airline of threatening retaliation against union members.
Canada’s second-largest airline appealed urgently for intervention from federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan and the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
Later on Saturday, Minister O’Regan announced his review of the board’s decision to refer the WestJet-AMFA dispute to binding arbitration—a process where an impartial third party resolves collective bargaining issues.
“I will be taking additional steps to protect the interests of the employer, the union, and all Canadians traveling over this national holiday weekend,” O’Regan assured in a statement.
In a subsequent update, he reiterated respect for the board’s independence, underscoring his message to both WestJet and AMFA to collaborate with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to achieve a resolution.
WestJet’s CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, attributed the situation to what he described as a “rogue union from the U.S.” attempting to gain traction in Canada. He asserted that once the minister mandated binding arbitration