WestJet warns of travel disruption as mechanics union opts to 'continue with strike action'

Newlyweds stranded in Jamaica Amanda and Jeff Cain describe their ordeal after labour disruptions at WestJet left them trapped in Jamaica.

WestJet says it's cancelled at least 150 flights beginning Saturday after the union maintaining the airline's planes announced it went on strike hours earlier.

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) announced its members started to strike around 5:30 p.m. MDT Friday because the airline's "unwillingness to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable."

WestJet says it is "outraged" after its aircraft maintenance engineers went ahead with their previously threatened strike on Friday evening.

The aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) say there was nothing legally stopping them.

The federal government had previously ordered binding arbitration but the AMEs' union rep Ian Evershed told CTV News, "That doesn't deter us or prevent us from exercising our right to strike at this time."

Evershed said, "In the minister's letter, there's no indication as to direction on the topic of strike or lockout."

Saturday morning, federal labour minister Seamus O'Regan issued a statement on X.

"The Canada Industrial relations Board (CIRB) has issued an order referring the WestJet-AMFA dispute to binding arbitration for a first collective agreement under Section 80 of the Canada Labour Code.

"I am reviewing the Board's decision, which is clearly inconsistent with my direction to the Board," he posted. I will be looking at additional steps to protect the interests of the employer, the union and all Canadians travelling over this national holiday weekend."

A CIRB document given to CTV News confirmed the board "finds that the ministerial referral does not have the effect of suspending the right to strike or lockout."

WestJet statement

WestJet issued a release on Friday evening:

"The only reason for this union to continue with a strike action is to create damage, disrupt the travel plans of thousands of Canadians over the July long weekend and to inflict significant costs on our business," said Diederik Pen, WestJet Airlines president.

"Given arbitration has been ordered, a strike has no leverage on the arbitration's outcome, so it is pure retaliation of a disappointed union. We are extremely outraged at these actions and will hold (the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association) 100 per cent accountable for the unnecessary stress and costs incurred as a result."

In WestJet's release, the airline said the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) "commenced strike action" Friday at 5:30 p.m. MT.

The AMFA confirmed that:

"The union remains engaged in dialogue with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) and the airline to resolve this impasse. The AMEs were hopeful this action would be unnecessary but the airline's unwillingness to negotiate with the union made the strike inevitable," the union said.

"While the AMEs and their union are eager to get back to work, the timeline for that is very much in the hands of WestJet management."

'Not that far apart': AMFA

Evershed told CTV News it is "absolutely not the intention of the union to try and disrupt Canadians' travel plans or leave people stranded."

Evershed said he wants to see a resolution, and "the parties are really not that far apart from each other. ... We're less than 10 per cent apart from each other."

But getting there is important, he said.

"We're the silent safety gatekeeper in the background," he said.

"People go to the airport every day. Thousands of people arrive at the airport (and) they see the pilot, they see the flight attendants, they come and they sit down in that aircraft and they feel safe. They're happy and they're on their way. No one thinks about the aircraft maintenance engineer.

"You don't want to. You don't want to think about the things that need to be done to keep that airplane safe and fit for flight."

AMFA statement

In a release issued Friday evening, the AMFA said it and WestJet appeared earlier in the day "before the Canada Industrial Relations Board to address the referral by the minister of labour pursuant to section 107 of the Canada Labour Code."

"The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees employees' fundamental right to strike. AMFA counsel argued that because the referral by the minister was silent on the issue, AMFA members' constitutional right to strike must prevail," the release said.

"The parties continued to discuss the arbitration process under section 107, both together and in separate breakout rooms. Time ticked toward the 7:30 p.m. Eastern strike deadline.

"At 7:30 p.m. Eastern, having had no indication that the board would revoke AMFA's strike notice, AMFA directed its members to cease all work."

The AMFA release went on to say that half an hour later, "the board reconvened the parties and confirmed that it would not enjoin the AMFA strike."

"AMFA's bargaining committee is standing by to continue discussions with the company," the release said.

WestJet said it is "actively and aggressively pursuing every avenue to minimize disruption, including asking for immediate intervention by the minister of labour and the Canada Industrial Relations Board."

"Severe travel disruption is to be expected if the strike is not called off immediately," the airline said.

With files from The Canadian Press and Stephen Hunt