WestJet has confirmed the first collective bargaining agreement between the airline and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the certified union representing WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Technical Operations, has been ratified.
"Reaching this milestone is good news for our organization and our guests, solidifying a five-year agreement that provides stability to our business and reflects the instrumental value and contributions of our Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Technical Operations employees," said Diederik Pen, president of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer.
"While we are grateful to have achieved resolution with a clear path forward together as a unified team, we recognize that the unprecedented impact of the disruption over July long weekend is still concerning for our guests, the communities we serve and our people."
On 27JUN, the federal Labour Minister directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to impose final binding arbitration to resolve the outstanding issues between the airline and the mechanics union.
The union said it would obey the order, and the travel industry in Canada breathed a huge sigh of relief. But mechanics walked off the job at 7:30 p.m. ET on 28JUN, an action the union says was perfectly legal despite a ministerial order that union reps and WS undergo binding arbitration to come up with a new bargaining agreement.
A couple of hours later, WestJet announced it would cancel 150 flights — possibly affecting 20,000 travellers.
In the end, the Canada Day weekend strike left more than 100,000 travellers stranded nationwide and worldwide, while stories of disgruntled passengers poured in.
As its flight schedule returns to plan, WestJet continues to deal with the fallout from its recent labour strike, with efforts being made to compensate its customers.
On 05JUL, they issued the following update:
“WestJet is operating in compliance with the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), which require that in the event of a flight cancellation, alternate travel arrangements be provided to guests within 48 hours. If this is not possible, guests are entitled to request a refund to their original form of payment.
Under the APPR, compensation for hotels and meals is not required for situations outside of a carrier's control. The courts have held that the declaration of a strike marks the onset of a labour disruption. Therefore, flights disrupted due to a strike declaration and the strike itself are considered outside of a carrier’s control. Despite this, WestJet went above and beyond its APPR obligations in certain instances and provided hotel nights for guests stranded abroad.
WestJet is obligated to respond to APPR claims received within a 30-day period. Guests are invited to submit a claim for eligible expenses via WestJet.com.
