WestJet’s flight attendants started voting on a strike mandate Wednesday morning. Talks between the union and airline have been ongoing for more than 10 months. The main issue is how cabin crews are paid. Flight attendants have said they perform an average of 35 hours of unpaid work each month. More than 4,000 union members have until July 15 to cast their votes. The union said a majority “yes” vote doesn’t mean a strike will happen but would strengthen their position at the bargaining table. Talks between the union and the airline will continue in Calgary until Friday. Alia Hussain, CUPE 8125 WestJet component president, said, “The earliest date a legal strike or employer lockout could occur” is Aug. 2. Hussain said that will become the case if: The flight attendants are planning a day of action July 14 at the Calgary International Airport. “Our focus remains on reaching a negotiated tentative agreement at the bargaining table,” Hussain said. “Our bargaining committee remains committed to working with the employer to achieve a fair collective agreement, and we remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached without any labour disruption.” In a statement, WestJet said it is “focused on reaching an agreement that recognizes the contributions and professionalism of our cabin personnel, while making sure WestJet remains competitive and sustainable.” “It is a normal part of the bargaining process for unions to conduct strike authorization votes during negotiations,” the airline said. “The occurrence of a strike vote, even where successful, does not mean a strike will occur. “We remain at the bargaining table and are committed to working toward a negotiated collective agreement.” On its website, WestJet says cabin crew are paid “using a credit hour system.” It says this “is the standard pay model for cabin crew across North America.” “Rather than paying a lower hourly wage for every hour on duty, the credit hour system combines flight time, ground duties, delays, and other required work into a single, higher rate of pay,” the website says. “That rate is then ‘credited’ across the full duty day.” WestJet says on its website its cabin crew members don’t work unpaid. It says credit hours “are calculated and paid as outlined in the collective agreement.” “All duty time — on the ground and in the air — is compensated according to the collective agreement," the website says.
