REGINA – Thousands of Canadians could soon find their long weekend travel plans up in the air as WestJet and its flight attendants race to avoid a strike that could ground much of the airline's mainline fleet as early as Sunday.
A potential labour disruption could begin at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Time on Sunday after CUPE Local 8125, representing about 4,400 WestJet mainline flight attendants, issued 72-hour strike notice. WestJet responded with its own 72-hour lockout notice, although negotiations continue and no strike has been confirmed.
The dispute centres on how flight attendants are paid. The union says crews currently average about 35 hours of unpaid work every month because they are only compensated while an aircraft is moving. Flight attendants are seeking boarding pay and higher base wages after voting 99.4 per cent in favour of strike action.
If no agreement is reached, WestJet has already signed a wind-down agreement that would allow it to begin cancelling and consolidating flights as early as Friday so aircraft and crews can be repositioned safely before any strike or lockout begins.
For Regina travellers, the impact could be significant.
Regina Airport Authority President and CEO James Bogusz says all WestJet Boeing 737 flights serving Regina would stop operating if a labour disruption begins.
"What this means is all of the jets, so this is the 737 jets that operate from Regina, will cease to operate after that time."
Bogusz says passengers should remember that even if their first flight is on a WestJet Encore Q400 aircraft, their trip could still be disrupted if they're connecting through a major hub.
"WestJet Encore is expected to continue its operations, but we have to remember that if you're connecting through a major hub, let's say Calgary, for example, even if your first flight is on an operating Q400, your connection may be challenged."
The airport is closely monitoring negotiations and remains hopeful an agreement can still be reached before Sunday's deadline.
"We're watching this very closely here at the airport and we're hopeful that we see a resolution."
Bogusz says travellers can make things much easier on themselves by preparing now instead of waiting until the last minute.
"Number one, you need to make sure your phone number, your email address is all up to date and included with your itinerary. This way, in the event that the airline does have a disruption, you will be notified as to what your options are and what you can do to be accommodated."
He also cautions passengers against rushing to the airport if they receive notice of a cancellation.
"Coming to the airport and speaking with a local agent is not going to, unfortunately, give you any more control than what they're going to provide to you through an email or text message. Generally, WestJet, or any airline for that matter, will have a much more efficient method of accommodating a passenger through their typical process."
Passengers booked to travel between July 30 and August 4 can currently take advantage of WestJet's flexible travel policy, allowing one-time changes or cancellations without change fees. Those who voluntarily cancel will receive a travel credit, while passenger rights experts recommend waiting for WestJet to officially cancel a flight before requesting a full refund.
Bogusz also encourages travellers to stay informed through official sources as negotiations continue over the weekend.
"Although WestJet is the best source of their own news, if you do follow the Regina Airport on social media or, of course, listen to the radio, you can certainly be kept up to date as to what's going on this weekend."
For now, he stresses that nothing has been decided and that travellers should stay informed rather than panic.
"The biggest piece here is that this currently is wait and see. Although strike action and a lockout action has been announced, it doesn't automatically mean there will be a disruption. But if you are travelling after Sunday morning at 12:01 a.m., you want to make sure you stay on the news closely and make sure your contact information is up to date so they can notify you in the event. We hope it doesn't happen, but if there is a disruption to travel, you'll be the first to know."
