WestJet canceled nearly 700 flights, upending the plans of about 100,000 passengers, as an unexpected mechanics strike entered its third day on Sunday, its busiest weekend of the season.
Nearly 680 workers, whose daily inspections and repairs are essential to the airline's operations, left their jobs Friday evening despite binding arbitration guidance from the federal Labor Secretary.
As of Thursday, tracking service FlightAware showed WestJet had cancelled 687 scheduled flights between then and the end of the Canada Day long weekend.
As of Sunday morning, 77% of today's flights had been cancelled. WestJet topped the global list of cancellations among major airlines on Saturday and Sunday.
In Montreal, flights departing to Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton were canceled on Sunday.
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WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) accused the other side of refusing to negotiate in good faith.
WestJet Airlines President Dedrick Penn criticized what he called “continued reckless actions” by the union, which he said was making “blatant efforts” to disrupt Canadians' travel plans, while the union asserts that the Calgary-based company has refused to respond to its request. Latest counter proposal.
Photo by Christopher Katsarov, The Canadian Press
An employee talks to passengers at the WestJet check-in area at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on June 29.
The union side said on Sunday that its members were “victims of a malicious public relations campaign by WestJet which [ils sont] “violators,” referring to the “slander” of workers regarding their right to strike.
“The company's reluctance to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable,” AMFA said on Friday.
Union members rejected a deal with WestJet earlier this month after two weeks of tense negotiations between the two sides, which culminated in federal intervention. Binding arbitration was ordered Thursday to force WestJet and the union to resolve the dispute.
AMFA published a letter from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board regarding its decision confirming that the ministerial referral has no effect of suspending the right to strike or lock out.
WestJet officials say they are “deeply angry about these actions” and say they will hold AMFA “fully accountable for the unnecessary stress and costs that result.”
Federal Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan, who said the Canada Industrial Relations Board's order was inconsistent with the direction he had provided, spoke again Saturday, asking both parties to work together with the board to reach an agreement.
“There is a lot at stake, Canadians need to resolve this situation,” he wrote on social network X in the evening.
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