CALGARY — WestJet flight attendants have ratified a new collective agreement with the airline, with a 90.2 per cent vote in favour of the deal. “This is a strong mandate from our members and recognition of the meaningful gains we made at the bargaining table,” Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125, said in a news release. “This is only our second contract, and we made important progress, including making sure our members are compensated for more of the work they already do.” The Canadian Union of Public Employees said the agreement includes a more than 18 per cent wage hike over three years as well as new compensation for work done on the ground. The contract will give workers a 13 per cent wage increase this October, followed by a 2.75 per cent hike in January and a 2.5 per cent raise at the start of 2028. “We are pleased our cabin crew voted to ratify this agreement, one that modernizes how cabin crew are compensated,” WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said in a news release. “The ratified agreement reflects the collaborative efforts of both parties and provides a foundation for WestJet’s continued success.” Contract talks had been ongoing since January, with WestJet and the CUPE WestJet Component at odds over wage increases and the cabin crews’ claim of unpaid ground work. The union had long complained that much of the work done when members are not in the air is unpaid. WestJet, however, had argued all duties are compensated through a “credit hour” system rather than an hourly rate. The new three-year agreement is in effect from Jan. 1, 2026, until Dec. 31, 2028. The deal followed tough negotiations, particularly around boarding pay, that culminated in a one-day strike by some 4,400 cabin crew earlier this month. WestJet’s flight schedule gradually ramped up after more than 900 flight cancellations at the peak of the summer travel period. The aviation industry has been rattled by a series of labour actions over the past several years, with strikes by Air Canada flight attendants and WestJet mechanics briefly bringing operations at the country’s two biggest airlines to a halt. WestJet operates more than 600 flights a day, carrying more than 70,000 passengers on some days. By Daniel Johnson
