WestJet Airlines strike to continue until deal reached with mechanics, union says

Onex

30/06/2024 21:14

(Adds WestJet comment in paragraph 5 and President Pen's
comment in paragraph 6)
    By Allison Lampert
       MONTREAL, June 30 (Reuters) - A strike by WestJet
Airlines' mechanics that has led to hundreds of canceled flights
over Canada's long holiday weekend will continue until a deal is
reached, the union's president told Reuters on Sunday. 
    Bret Oestreich, president of the Aircraft Mechanics
Fraternal Association, said the two sides will reconvene with a
mediator on Sunday. The union represents around 680 workers at
WestJet, including aircraft maintenance engineers, who went on
strike on Friday after 97% of its members rejected a pay deal
reached in May. 
    "All we want to do is to go back to the table," said
Oestreich. "The strike will be in effect until we get an
agreement."
    He said the two sides are separated by a first-year economic
difference of approximately 7%, or less than $8 million, on a
roughly four-year contract. 
    WestJet Airlines said on Sunday that it had canceled an
additional 410 flights overnight, for a total of more than 800
flights, as the strike entered its third day.
        "WestJet is in receipt of a binding arbitration order
and await urgent clarity from the government that a strike and
arbitration cannot exist simultaneously," airline President
Diederik Pen. 
  
        On Saturday, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech blamed
the union for the disruption, arguing that leaders refused to
negotiate.
    "Their only purpose was to disrupt as many Canadian
travelers as possible," he said.
    Pen told reporters on Saturday the carrier was expecting to
fly around 70,000 passengers a day during the long July 1
weekend. He said the airline can maintain minimal service with
30-50 aircraft, operating around 150 flights a day.
        The strike has frustrated travelers during Canada's long
weekend with passengers taking to social media to complain about
canceled family holidays or being stranded.
    Canadian Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan has urged WestJet
and the union to resolve their differences and reach an
agreement.
    Seeking to preemptively avert the strike, O'Regan had asked
the Canada Industrial Relations Board to resolve the contract
dispute through binding arbitration.
    While the board agreed to arbitration, it said O'Regan's
referral "does not have the effect of suspending the right to
strike or lockout."
    Oestreich said the union, which is in a legal position to
strike, wants a negotiated deal instead of an agreement imposed
by an arbitrator. 
    WestJet said it has offered a 12.5% wage increase in the
first year of the agreement and a compounded wage increase of
23% over the term of the agreement.     

 (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Devika Nair in
Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler)
 ((Allison.Lampert@thomsonreuters.com; 514-796-4212; Reuters
Messaging: allison.lampert.reuters.com@reuters.net))