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Yesterday, I wrote about WestJet canceling flights and parking portions of its Boeing 737 fleet as it prepared for a possible flight attendant strike. That came to pass and WestJet passengers are now facing widespread travel disruptions. With flight attendants striking, the airline has been forced to suspend most of its mainline operations during one of Canada’s busiest summer travel periods.
The labor action follows months of unsuccessful negotiations between WestJet and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents approximately 4,400 cabin crew members. Contract talks have been ongoing since late 2025 with compensation for duties performed before takeoff (such as boarding passengers and completing safety procedures) remaining one of the biggest unresolved issues.
Under Canadian passenger protection rules, WestJet must attempt to rebook affected travelers including on competing airlines when necessary. However, finding available seats may prove difficult given the heavy demand during the holiday weekend (it’s the Civic Holiday or the August Long Weekend in Canada this weekend). Both the airline and the union have indicated they remain willing to continue negotiations, but there is currently no indication of when the strike could end.
@DJsAviation nicely laid out what has been offered to date on X.
Alexis von Hoensbroech, Chief Executive Officer of the WestJet Group, said:
We’re disappointed to be here, this directly impacts the travel plans of our guests, our WestJetters and the communities and businesses we serve. Our focus remains on staying available for the union to reach an agreement. We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised. Unfortunately, it wasn’t accepted.”
Anthony’s Take: Ouch. This is not a good time for a strike. The dispute also raises the possibility of government involvement if the disruption continues. Canadian officials have previously intervened in major airline labor disputes and directed employees back to work while sending negotiations to binding arbitration when prolonged disruptions were deemed to be in the public interest. Let’s see how this one plays out.
(Featured Image Credit: WestJet.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
