A WestJet strike is underway. What does it mean for Ottawa?

WestJet flight attendants have walked off the job. Gavin Young/Postmedia

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Ottawans planning on travelling on WestJet during the long weekend might need to do some vacation rearranging, if they haven’t already.

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More than 4,000 WestJet flight attendants are now on strike, some of whom began picketing at Pearson Airport in Toronto early Sunday after failing to reach a contract deal.

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As such, a strike is officially underway for the airline, but what does this mean for Ottawa?

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Flights cancelled

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WestJet has temporarily suspended all flights due to a labour disruption involving cabin crew,” said an advisory on the airline’s website on Sunday.

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However, WestJet Encore flights — a WestJet subsidiary with smaller aircraft — continue to operate.

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If you’ve booked an upcoming WestJet flight and are unsure whether it’s taking off or not, you can check your flight status here.

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Why a strike?

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On July 30, WestJet flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice. WestJet then issued a 72-hour lockout notice, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ website. They did not come to an agreement after that.

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Demands include flight attendants being paid for all work performed (including that on the ground), keeping wages in line with inflation, improving scheduling and fatigue protections, and raising pay to reflect the safety role of flight attendants, according to another page on CUPE’s website.

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This story will be updated

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