The WestJet company announced in a press release, published late Wednesday night, that it was returning to the negotiating table with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), which had announced that it was ready to start a strike on Thursday. evening.
WestJet says the union, which represents some 670 mechanics, has reportedly agreed to cancel its strike notice, with both parties apparently jointly agreeing to continue work to find a solution.
Thousands of WestJet customers were scrambling yesterday after the airline canceled more than 30 flights in anticipation of a possible strike by plane mechanics on Thursday.
In an update Wednesday afternoon, the airline said about 6,500 travelers were booked for flights scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday that were canceled. WestJet said the move reduced the risk of passengers being trapped and ensured the carrier avoided abandoning planes in remote locations.
About 670 WestJet mechanics, represented by the AMFA, said yesterday they were prepared for a work stoppage as early as Thursday evening after giving the airline a strike notice earlier this week following nine months of negotiations.
The Calgary-based company has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to intervene in binding arbitration, which would see the labor court establish a contract between the two parties – their first collective agreement. In the meantime, the council could ban a work stoppage, a move WestJet is counting on as cancellations pile up.
WestJet Airlines President Diederik Pen said he recognized the impact of these first cancellations on customers and employees and said the company was committed to avoiding further disruption.
Union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative agreement last week and opposed the airline’s request for arbitration this week.
WestJet appeared before the Council on Wednesday to discuss the airline’s request for arbitration, as part of the negotiation between the airline and the mechanics.
The council said it needed more time and to hear presentations from both sides before it could decide whether or not to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement should be resolved through arbitration.
Passenger protection regulations entitle customers to a full refund to the original payment method for canceled trips, pointed out Gabor Lukacs, president of the Travelers Rights (DV) group.
If there is a strike and WestJet cannot rebook passengers within 48 hours of the original departure time, the airline will have to “purchase passenger seats on competing airlines – at WestJet’s expense,” a said Mr. Lukacs, citing the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
For trips canceled before the potential work stoppage that had been announced, he argued that the carrier must re-register customers on competitors’ flights if it cannot get them on WestJet planes in the nine hours before the scheduled departure. The airline would also have to pay for meals and lodging as well as compensation – separate from a refund – of between $400 and $1,000, depending on the length of the delay.
“If I were an affected passenger, I would give WestJet a chance to rebook me with a competitor. I would record the call or interaction. If the request was ignored or denied, I would purchase a ticket from a competitor and then charge WestJet for all expenses plus standard compensation (passenger rights),” Mr. Lukacs said.
The airline said Wednesday it is “doing everything possible to make amends to all affected [passengers].”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the 31 cancellations included 18 for that day and 13 for Thursday. They affected cities from Toronto and Vancouver to Regina and Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Busy domestic routes such as Toronto-Calgary and popular holiday flights including Vancouver-Las Vegas have seen cancellations.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) said it would be prepared to “address these matters as expeditiously as possible.”
WestJet President Diederik Pen said Tuesday evening the airline was “extremely saddened” to trigger the contingency plan and begin parking planes after receiving 72 hours’ notice of the strike.
The union said Monday it opposes WestJet’s request for arbitration because the process could undermine aircraft maintenance technicians’ (AME) bid for greater contract gains.
“If adopted by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, this measure would completely defeat the TEA’s goal of achieving an industry-changing contract, as arbitrators are generally guided by the ‘standards’ of industry – the same standards that have kept AMEs under the thumb of management and industry unions that favor the unqualified majority,” the negotiating committee said in a statement Monday.
Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan said federal mediators were continuing to work with both sides this week.
“The mediators are there. Things are moving forward and we support them at the table where the best deals are made,” he told reporters on Tuesday.