WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants reached a tentative deal Monday to resume work after a brief work stoppage, but neither side is sharing specifics yet.
The airline had said Sunday it had proposed a 13% pay increase starting in October, and then a 2.5% increase in each of the next three years until 2029.
The airline also said it offered a new duty pay premium, equivalent to another 12% salary increase, which WestJet said is designed to solve the cabin crew’s claim of unpaid work.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees said in a news release that the tentative agreement will be presented to its members for a ratification vote. In the meantime, both the union’s strike notice and the company’s lockout notice were being withdrawn and flight attendants would return to work.
“This tentative agreement represents meaningful progress,” said Alia Hussain, president of CUPE local 8125, in the release, adding that the draft deal recognizes “more of the work cabin crew are required to perform and with general increases to compensation for that work.”
“Most importantly, this agreement was achieved through collective bargaining at the negotiating table,” Hussain added.
In a news conference in Calgary Monday, Hussain said the flight attendants have 30 days to ratify the agreement, and the union will spend the coming days preparing a slide show to present to the members. “We wouldn’t bring a deal to our membership if we didn’t believe the puzzle pieces, in the way that they would come together, would be something they would ratify based on the circumstances we were facing,” Hussain told reporters outside the airport in Calgary.
She said the deal includes pay increases, but wouldn’t provide any further details in order to let members learn of it first.
Flight attendants walked off the job early Sunday morning, after failing to reach a new contract with the airline. WestJet then grounded all flights on a long summer weekend across much of Canada.
Contract talks had been ongoing in Calgary since January, with WestJet and the CUPE WestJet Component at odds over wage increases and the cabin crew’s claim of unpaid ground work.
There was no word Monday on when the airline would be able to resume its normal operations and schedule, but flights were slowly starting to resume by Monday afternoon.
Still, passengers were decisively frustrated Monday as they scrambled to change their travel plans at the end of the long weekend.
At Toronto’s Pearson airport, some customers were sprawled out on the floor, glued to their phones on hold with customer service.
In a news release, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech apologized for the disruptions, acknowledging the frustrations they have caused.
“Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we get back to normal,” von Hoensbroech said.
If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.