(Toronto) WestJet’s operations could be disrupted over the Canada Day long weekend, as the Alberta-based company says it has received a new strike notice from its mechanics responsible for maintaining its planes.
In response, the company maintains that it has no choice but to send a lockout notice to manage the situation.
In a statement sent early Wednesday, WestJet said it had received a 72-hour strike notice the day before from the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the union that represents some 670 aircraft maintenance engineers. and other specialized employees affected by this negotiation.
Thus, a strike could be called Friday at 5:30 p.m. MT, if no agreement is reached by then. The walkout would therefore occur at the start of the long Canada Day holiday, when next Monday is a public holiday in the country.
According to WestJet, 70,000 people are expected to board its aircraft each day this weekend, making it the busiest weekend of the summer.
The carrier clarifies that the strike notice does not mean there will be an interruption to travel, but it confirms that it will take “arrangements to manage the repercussions as much as possible” in the coming days.
Preparations for a reduced schedule will be made in particular, he mentioned.
The union issued initial strike notice last week, but the labor dispute was averted when both sides agreed to resume negotiations. The carrier still canceled nearly 50 flights in anticipation of a possible strike.
Since then, WestJet says it presented a “revised, industry-leading” offer that would see maintenance engineers receive a 22% pay increase over four years.
“It was quickly rejected and a strike notice was issued, leaving us with no choice but to issue a lockout notice to manage the disruption to the travel of hundreds of thousands of people. ‘guests,’ WestJet Airlines President Diederik Pen said in writing.
From the company’s point of view, “the union’s demand far exceeds this figure and remains unreasonable.”
The AMFA had not reacted publicly to this new strike notice and the threat of lockout at the time of publication on Wednesday morning.
