UPDATE: Strike Ended Late Sunday Evening, June 30, and This Article Describes Earlier Developments

After putting a hold last week on its strike planned for June 22, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) suddenly decided to proceed with the action on the evening of Friday, June 28, the start of the long, busy Canada Day weekend. 

The strike caught both WestJet and its passengers off guard, forcing the airline to cancel 150 flights scheduled for Saturday, June 29. The airline announced the cancellations at 2 am ET Saturday morning.

The AMFA issued a second strike notice on June 27, causing the cancellation of about 25 flights affecting 3,300 passengers. That strike was also called off as the federal government got involved when Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to assist the parties in resolving their differences and to initiate a final binding arbitration process. The airline is recommending passengers to confirm the status of their flights before going to the airport.

Diederik Pen, President of WestJet and Group Chief Operating Officer was not happy about the developments. He said, “A strike serves no one, as this negotiation has already been referred to binding arbitration. We know how painful this is for our guests and our people; however, we must start the immediate and safe parking of our aircraft. The scale of this deliberate disruption is devastating and AMFA must be held accountable for their reckless actions. Without immediate intervention, significant disruption will unnecessarily harm tens of thousands of Canadians along with the entire economic ecosystem that depends on our critical air service.” 

FMI: www.westjet.com