The union representing thousands of WestJet flight attendants says members have voted strongly in favour of a potential strike.
“Following a 21-day cooling-off period, cabin crew could go on strike as early as August 2, 2026,”
WestJet flight attendants held a day of action outside the airline’s Calgary headquarters Tuesday as members voted on whether to authorize strike action.
The move raises the possibility of another labour disruption during Canada’s busiest travel season.
“We want to get a deal at the bargaining table,” said Alia Hussain, president of CUPE Local 8125. “Please show up and provide us with meaningful proposals.”
It’s the latest step in a contract dispute involving roughly 4,400 cabin crew members. The union says wages, unpaid work and working conditions remain the main sticking points in negotiations. If members approve a strike mandate, job action could begin as early as Aug. 2.
CUPE says flight attendants perform an average of 35 hours of unpaid work each month under WestJet’s flight credit system and argues wages are not keeping pace with inflation.
WestJet flight attendants hold a “Day of Action” while union members vote on a possible strike in Calgary, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
“We’re here to tell the company that the archaic and exploitive flight credit system that the company currently uses does not compensate us appropriately for our contributions to this organization’s success,” Hussain said.
WestJet chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech said the airline is determined to reach an agreement.
“Our focus is at the table where we work with the union to come up with a contract that makes sense for our flight attendants,” he said.
“And we need a contract that works for WestJet and between those two, I am confident we will find an outcome that works for everyone.”
The dispute comes as Canadians head into the busiest travel season of the year, following a series of high-profile airline labour disputes last summer, including a three-day Air Canada flight attendants strike.
Be the first to comment