Summer Travel Under Pressure as WestJet Flight Attendants Vote on Strike Mandate

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published July 14, 2026

Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتساب

Concerns are growing over possible disruptions to WestJet flights during the peak summer travel season as thousands of flight attendants prepare to conclude a strike authorization vote amid stalled contract negotiations with the airline.

Approximately 4,600 cabin crew members working on WestJet’s mainline flights are participating in the vote organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, CUPE Local 8125. Voting is scheduled to close on the morning of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, with results expected to be announced afterward.

A successful vote would not trigger an immediate strike. Instead, it would give the union’s bargaining committee the authority to call job action at a later stage if negotiations fail to produce a new collective agreement.

WestJet flight attendants also held informational pickets at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Calgary International Airport, carrying signs calling for fair compensation and an end to what the union describes as unpaid work.

The demonstrations did not involve a work stoppage and had not resulted in flight cancellations or operational disruptions at the time of publication.

The union says flight attendants begin performing safety-related duties before an aircraft leaves the gate, including passenger boarding, security checks and assisting travellers while the plane remains on the ground.

CUPE estimates that each employee performs an average of about 35 hours of unpaid work every month. The union is also seeking improvements related to wages, scheduling and work-life balance.

WestJet has rejected the characterization that its compensation system requires employees to work without pay.

The airline says cabin crew members are compensated for their overall duties through a system of credited flight hours and monthly pay guarantees established under the collective agreement.

WestJet also said an internal review related to minimum-wage compliance found that 99 per cent of the cases examined met legal requirements. The company said it would repay any outstanding amounts in the limited number of cases where discrepancies were identified.

The union has challenged the company’s approach, arguing that the dispute is not limited to minimum-wage compliance but concerns whether employees are properly compensated for all hours spent performing required duties.

Negotiations for a new contract began in September 2025, while the previous collective agreement expired at the end of that year.

Federal conciliation concluded on July 11, beginning a mandatory 21-day cooling-off period under Canadian labour law.

Based on the current legal timeline, the earliest possible date for a lawful strike or employer lockout would be August 2, 2026. Either side would also be required to provide at least 72 hours’ notice before beginning job action.

WestJet flights are currently operating normally. However, travellers with bookings in early August are being encouraged to monitor updates from the airline and the union as the negotiations continue.

CUPE says its priority remains reaching an agreement at the bargaining table without disrupting passengers, while WestJet says it remains committed to negotiating a contract that addresses employee concerns and protects the stability of its summer operations.