WestJet Mechanics Strike Averted After Minister of Labour Steps In

A WestJet mechanics strike that could have caused chaos for travelers over the upcoming long weekend has been averted.

Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. said on Thursday afternoon, just hours before the strike was about to begin, that he would invoke his power under the Canada Labour Code to place WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) into binding arbitration, thwarting the strike.

“As Minister of Labour, I am using my authorities under the Canada Labour Code to further the goals of last week’s Section 80 referral to help the parties reach their first collective agreement,” he said in a statement.

“I have directed the CIRB to impose final binding arbitration to resolve outstanding terms of the collective agreement.”

Both Westjet and the AMFA said they would abide by the Minister’s order.

The news means that instead of the strike going on as planned on Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST, the AMFA and WestJet will instead head back to the bargaining table with CIRB who will be tasked with helping to find a solution. AMFA’s mechanics will also head back to work.

“WestJet and AMFA will enter final binding arbitration to resolve the outstanding terms of the collective agreement. The airline acknowledges the Minister’s direction to secure industrial peace, and AMFA has confirmed they will abide by the direction. Given this, a strike or lockout will not occur, and the airline will no longer proceed in canceling flights,” WestJet said in a statement late on Thursday.

It’s good news for travelers flying WestJet over the holiday weekend in Canada, though some impact has already been felt—WestJet canceled just under 30 flights for Thursday and Friday, which impacted more than 3,000 of its passengers.

According to FlightAware, WestJet has 30 flights total canceled for Friday as of 7 a.m. EST, about 6% of its entire schedule. Air Canada, for comparison, also has around 30 cancellations, also 6% of its schedule.

The airline now says it is ramping up its operations “as quickly and efficiently as possible” to minimize any more impact.  It is still encouraging all of its passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.