WestJet cancels nearly 40 flights in anticipation of mechanics strike

Thousands of people who were planning to travel with WestJet have had their flights cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday as the airline anticipates a potential strike.

The WestJet Group nixed about 40 flights, affecting nearly 6,500 travellers.

Approximately 670 mechanics for the airline, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, are set to walk off the job as early as Thursday night after providing a strike notice earlier this week.

The airline says it started cancelling and consolidating its flights in order to park aircraft in a safe and organized manner.

“We are immensely disheartened that we are in a position where we must activate our contingency plan and begin parking aircraft, as a result of the strike notice served by AMFA,” WestJet president Diederik Pen said in a statement.

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“We deeply regret the disruption this will have on the travel plans of our guests, communities and businesses that rely on our critical air service.”

The decision came as WestJet waits to hear back regarding its request that the Canadian Industrial Relations Board intervene.

If accepted, the company says the move would refer the dispute to arbitration and prevent labour action by either party.

The union, whose members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative agreement last week, opposes this action.

“If adopted by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, it would utterly frustrate the AMEs’ goal of reaching an industry-changing contract because arbitrators are generally driven by industry ‘norms’ – the same norms that have kept AMEs under the heel of management and industrial unions which favour the unskilled majority,” the negotiating committee said in a statement Monday.

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