WestJet cancels flights after mechanics union issues second strike notice
A WestJet plane waits at a gate at Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. WestJet is cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike its mechanics union. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY — WestJet is cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike by its mechanics' union.
The Calgary-based airline says in a statement the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has provided them with another notice of strike action.
WestJet says that as a result, it has preemptively cancelled 25 flights between Thursday and Friday, affecting about 3,300 customers.
This comes as the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association is accusing WestJet of suing it without notifying its negotiators, who are working with the airline on working out a new collective bargaining deal.
The union says WestJet's statement about a strike putting it and travellers in peril is "inflammatory" and is urging WestJet to spend more negotiating with union representatives.
Union members overwhelmingly voted to reject a tentative deal earlier this month and have opposed WestJet's request for arbitration.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2024
The Canadian Press