There was a long lineup at the WestJet counter at Edmonton International Airport Tuesday morning, the day after the airline announced a tentative deal with its flight attendants. WestJet customers told CTV News Edmonton they were happy about the news of a deal, the details of which are not being released yet, but were frustrated at the inconvenience the one-day strike had caused. “I was supposed to fly yesterday evening, and then it (was) pushed up to this morning,” said Kevin Locke, who was returning home to Vancouver and had been scheduled to work Tuesday. “But then I have two cats in a carrier and I missed the timing. It was a little busy this morning,” he added. WestJet rebooked him at a cost of $150. “But I’m happy for the workers that were able to get a resolution so quickly.” Charlotte Vivian from Ontario had been in Edmonton for 10 days to visit her brother for the first time in 15 years. When she flew west, there had been talks of a work stoppage, but it was too early into the negotiations to reschedule the long-awaited reunion. “I said, ‘I’m not letting them ruin my trip. What is is,’” Vivian said. Her return flight on Tuesday ended up unaffected, but the situation caused a fair amount of stress. “We worried a long time because we didn’t know. Would it fly?” Meanwhile, an Edmonton-area couple is stuck on the Caribbean island Saint Lucia for an extra week. WestJet offered Elaine Schulz-Charlery and her husband, Timothy Charlery, a route home through the U.S. when their Sunday flight was cancelled. But Charlery is a Canadian permanent resident and has a Saint Lucia passport, and could not enter the U.S. without a visa. “My husband and I were both supposed to be at work today,” Schulz-Charlery told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday, noting that her husband is out of vacation time and so the couple will lose his wages during the delay. “I’m not sure I’ll ever book with WestJet again.” The union representing 4,400 cabin crew members, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 8125, and WestJet have 30 days to ratify the deal. CUPE Local 8125’s president confirmed the deal includes pay increases, but would not provide further details. The airline said Sunday it had proposed a 13-per cent pay increase starting in October, and then a 2.5-per cent increase in each of the next three years, plus a new duty pay premium to address the union’s claim of unpaid work. WestJet’s CEO said a strike or lockout is not possible during ratification. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa
