WestJet Flight Attendants Strike Grounds Entire Boeing Fleet

Cabin crew walkout cancels about 600 flights and upends travel for some 250,000 people as Canada’s second-largest airline enters a peak summer long weekend

Flight attendants at WestJet went on strike early Sunday, grounding the airline’s entire mainline Boeing 737 and 787 fleets and capping a wind-down that has canceled about 600 flights since Friday, during one of Canada’s busiest travel weekends.

The walkout by roughly 4,400 cabin crew members, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 8125, began at 12:01 a.m. MDT Sunday after nearly 11 months of contract negotiations failed to produce a new agreement. WestJet Encore’s Dash 8 Q400 flights and partner and codeshare service continued to operate.

The disruption strikes at the height of a summer-long weekend, compounding the toll on travelers already facing full flights. WestJet is Canada’s second-largest airline, and the stoppage grounds the bulk of its mainline capacity, including long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner routes.

The dispute centers on how WestJet compensates flight attendants for work performed on the ground — boarding, safety checks and passenger assistance — under the traditional “block time” pay system, which the union says leaves much of that labor unpaid or underpaid. It is the same grievance that drove Air Canada flight attendants to strike last summer, a walkout that stranded more than 100,000 travelers and lasted about three days. It ended after the federal government ordered the attendants back to work, an order the union defied before the two sides reached a tentative deal.

WestJet Group CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the airline had offered terms it considered without precedent in the industry. “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,” von Hoensbroech said.

He added that the airline had hoped to avoid the disruption. “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,” von Hoensbroech said.

CUPE Local 8125 President Alia Hussain said the union felt it had exhausted efforts to reach a deal before the strike deadline, saying members “tried until the very last minute to get a fair deal that recognizes the value of the work cabin crews do.” Hussain said “WestJet’s offer did not go far enough.”

In the days before the walkout, Hussain said the union remained willing to keep bargaining. “We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal,” Hussain said in the union’s July 30 statement announcing its 72-hour strike notice. She added in the same statement: “There’s still time to avoid a strike. We will continue to bargain around the clock until this is resolved. We want a fair contract for our members that recognizes the value of flight attendants’ work and recognizes our position as employees of the second-largest carrier in Canada.” The union also called on the federal government to respect the bargaining process and let the two sides reach a deal without intervention.

WestJet’s offer, according to the airline, included a 13% wage increase effective Oct. 1, 2026, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, followed by 2.5% increases in each of the next three years, along with a new duty-pay premium worth roughly another 12% intended to cover time spent on the ground. The proposal also included a health care spending account, higher per diems, a fifth week of vacation after 25 years of service, an expanded maternity top-up and scheduling changes, WestJet said.

Under the current credit-hour system, WestJet says its cabin crew are paid between 28.45 and 53.61 Canadian dollars per credit hour, with one credit hour equal to about 1.5 duty hours — a model the airline says already compensates flight time, ground duties and delays through a single, higher rate plus minimum guarantees. The union argues the system still leaves significant pre- and post-flight work uncompensated, a position that mirrors a broader push among North American flight attendants to eliminate unpaid ground duties.

WestJet issued a lockout notice after the union’s 72-hour strike notification and began winding down mainline operations in advance of the walkout to avoid stranding aircraft and crews internationally. More than 300 flights had been canceled by early Sunday, a total that reached roughly 600 as of Sunday afternoon, according to CBC News — a figure reflecting the cumulative toll of the wind-down as well as the strike itself. WestJet said the stoppage had canceled August long weekend travel for roughly 250,000 people, with more flights to follow if it continues.

Canada’s jobs and families minister, Patty Hajdu, said she was disappointed the two sides had not reached an agreement before the deadline. Hajdu said federal mediators have supported the talks since May. She has not said whether Ottawa would intervene under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code.

Passengers with direct bookings have been contacted by WestJet via email regarding refunds or rebooking options, while travelers who booked through third parties have been directed to their travel agents. The airline extended its flexible change and cancellation policy for affected travelers through Aug. 6. Flight attendants picketed outside Calgary International Airport, WestJet’s home base, and at Vancouver International Airport.

John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University in Montreal, said WestJet flights rebooked for Monday would not depart and that the earliest service could resume was late Tuesday afternoon, even if the strike ended Sunday, because of the time needed to move crews and aircraft back into position, he told CBC News.

According to a bargaining timeline published by WestJet, the relationship dates to Sept. 16, 2025, when the union filed notice to bargain; the collective agreement expired Dec. 31, 2025. A notice of dispute followed on April 27, 2026, and conciliators were assigned May 12, 2026, ahead of the strike and lockout notices issued around July 30. Sessions were held in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton, with WestJet saying 38 articles had been agreed to in principle and 29 remained in progress as of late July.

Bargaining between WestJet and the union continued in Calgary on Sunday, with both sides saying they remained committed to reaching a deal.