‘It has to change’: WestJet flight attendants call for a new contract ahead of strike vote

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Hundreds of flight attendants lined up outside the airline’s headquarters in Calgary as the union for thousands of WestJet workers votes this week on a potential strike.

About 250 WestJet flight attendants stood together in silent protest outside the airline’s Calgary headquarters, holding signs with phrases including “unpaid work won’t fly” and “fair contract now.”

The union says the 4,400 WestJet flight attendants it represents want to be paid for all their work.

“I think people understand that when you’re at work performing safety sensitive regulated work you should be paid,” said CUPE Local 8125 president Alia Hussain.

Flight attendants are not currently paid before the aircraft doors close. According to the union, that works out to up to 35 hours of unpaid work every month.

It’s the sticking point for the union members as they prepare for a strike vote after 11 months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement.

The airline says the hourly wage they are paid is created to compensate their work in those hours, but one aviation expert say that wage has not kept up with inflation.

“The union and WestJet flight attendants are saying listen we have to catch up,” said McGill University professor John Gradek, who is also part of the Global Aviation Leadership Program.

WestJet agrees the contract needs to be updated saying it remains focussed on reaching an agreement that recognizes the contributions of its cabin crew while making sure WestJet remains competitive.

“We want a contract that makes sense for flight attendants that they feel valued that I feel very compensated, but they’re also sustainable for our business,” said WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech in an interview with CTV News.

The union plans to tally its votes Wednesday. If the union membership approves strike action, the earliest it could happen would be Aug. 2.

“This is not the place we want to be,” Hussain said, “but we also can’t continue on the archaic system known as the flight credit system and not be appropriately paid for all of our hours work. It has to change.”

If a strike takes place, it will be the second time flight attendants in Canada walked off the job over wages in one year.

Last year Air Canada flight attendants went on strike over similar concerns. It lasted three days, impacting about half a million passengers before the federal government ordered them back to work.

Air travellers are bracing for another potential disruption.

“I understand it’s frustrating for some travelers, but it’s important for everybody to get fair pay,” traveller Sarah Murphy told CTV News at the Calgary International Airport on Tuesday.

“If they’re on the plane and they’re working, they should be doing their job and getting paid whether they’re on the ground or in the air,” said Lindsay Murray who was flying out of Calgary Tuesday.

No matter the disruption passengers in Canada have the right to receive compensation including free re-booking.

If that’s not possible within 48 hours, then the airline must rebook you with a competitor.

“If you are about to travel and your flight is canceled you have every right to be able to book with a competitor airline if WestJet is unable to book you on its own partner airlines.”