Wednesday morning might bring about a surge in Canadian travelers rechecking their plans for the upcoming August long weekend, as the outcome of a strike vote conducted by approximately 4,400 unionized WestJet flight attendants is anticipated. If the vote leans towards approval, members of the CUPE Local 8125 union could legally initiate a strike on Sunday, August 2. This action could potentially ground WestJet, the second-largest airline in Canada, on the eve of a statutory holiday in several provinces. Alternatively, WestJet could opt to lock out its flight attendants starting from that date, as the federal “cooling off” period would have concluded.
Both parties would be required to give a 72-hour notice, which means Canadians might have to wait until the end of the month to find out the status of their August flights. WestJet has been engaged in negotiations with unionized flight attendants for its primary “mainline” flights since late 2025. The previous contract between the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the airline was effective from March 1, 2021, until the end of the previous year. WestJet’s CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, acknowledged that the age of the prior contract is a contributing factor to why a new agreement may necessitate “significant improvement.”
“It was negotiated in the midst of the pandemic, so there is much ground to cover as they have fallen behind due to inflation,” von Hoensbroech remarked. “We are one of the lowest paid despite being the second-largest carrier in Canada, and this needs to change,” expressed CUPE 8125 president Alia Hussain, who is also a WestJet flight attendant.
The dispute between Air Canada and its flight attendants in the summer of 2025 bears similarities to the current situation facing WestJet, with CUPE alleging that its members are not fairly compensated. John Gradek, an aviation management lecturer at McGill University, noted that the issues echo those from the previous summer with Air Canada. He highlighted that WestJet seems to have overlooked the shift in how its main competitor compensates its employees.
Flight attendants at WestJet are remunerated based on a set amount of “credit hours” per flight, which can vary according to the flight duration. The airline defends its payment model, stating that the “credit hour” wage is adjusted to account for additional duties during potentially unpaid hours. However, the union argues that this method fails to consider flight delays and other unforeseen circumstances where the cabin crew is on duty but not flying.
Despite ongoing negotiations and efforts to reach a resolution, the possibility of a strike or lockout looms over WestJet and its flight attendants. Both sides have made progress on certain collective agreement items, with several articles still pending. WestJet faced a significant labor dispute in the summer of 2024 when unionized airline mechanics went on strike, causing disruptions for tens of thousands of travelers over the Canada Day long weekend.
