WestJet Flight Attendant Strike Could Cause Cancellations as Soon as Tomorrow

The union representing 4,400 flight attendants at WestJet has issued a 72-hour strike notice, saying the two sides remain far apart despite ongoing talks.

The airline responded with a 72-hour lockout notice. Job action could begin as soon as Sunday – in the middle of a holiday weekend for many Canadians. At this time of year WestJet offers as many as 600 flights per day, carrying up to 70,000 passengers.

Unless a tentative agreement is reached, some flights could start to be grounded by tomorrow, July 31.

The union says “unpaid work” is a major issue, as it was for Air Canada flight attendants when they walked off the job at the same time last year. Payment for ‘ground work’ – the time flight attendants spend assisting customers before the aircraft takes off and after it lands, was at the heart of that dispute.

The result was a nearly four-day strike in August 2025 that impacted hundreds of thousands of travelers and cost Air Canada an estimated $375 million.

WestJet’s position is that all duties are compensated through a “credit hour” system rather than an hourly rate.

“Our message to WestJet is plain and simple. Pay us fairly. Pay us for all our time,” said Alia Hussain, chair of the CUPE union’s WestJet contingent, last September. The contract between WestJet and its flight attendants expired December 31.

Yesterday, Hussain said there is still time to avoid a strike. “We will continue to bargain around the clock until this is resolved.” 

“The decision to issue a lockout notice, in response to the actions taken by the union, was not one that was made lightly,” said WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech in the statement. “We sincerely regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this continues to cause for our guests,” 

“We greatly value the work and contributions of our cabin crew, and it is our responsibility to ensure the integrity of our network and to minimize the risk of stranding our guests, crew and aircraft.”

WestJet has been allowing passengers with flights scheduled any time between July 30 and August 4 to make a one-time change or cancellation with no fee.

Should flight delays or cancellations occur, the airline said impacted guests will be refunded or re-accommodated, “as applicable.”

The two sides did reach one agreement this week, laying out how to ground planes and get crew home in the event of a strike.

Cabin crew working a flight when any job action kicks off would complete the trip to its destination. Those who can’t immediately return to their home city would receive hotel accommodation for up to a week or a plane ride back to another Canadian city.