Flight attendants at WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, officially went on strike on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, after failing to reach a collective agreement with the carrier following nearly 11 months of negotiations, according to AeroTime. The walkout involves approximately 4,400 cabin crew members represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 8125, as reported by AeroTime.
WestJet Flight Attendants Strike and Ground Hundreds of Flights
The labor disruption grounded flights during a busy three-day holiday weekend in much of Canada, according to the WSJ. WestJet confirmed the strike and reported that 309 flights had been canceled through Sunday night, according to USA Today. The airline stated that it began grounding flights and reducing operations to minimize the risk of stranding guests and aircraft,
as noted by USA Today. Prior to the strike, the union had given a 72-hour notice, which prompted WestJet to issue a lock-out notice, as detailed by USA Today.
Core Dispute Over Ground Pay and Compensation
The central disagreement in the negotiations centers on how flight attendants are compensated for duties performed before departures and after arrivals while still on the ground, according to AeroTime. The union contends that these responsibilities remain unpaid under the current system, whereas WestJet maintains that staff are compensated through a “credit hour” system rather than a traditional hourly rate, according to ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos.
Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group, detailed the company’s rejected offer: We presented a proposal that would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights, plus a double-digit wage increase in year one among other priorities the union raised.
Von Hoensbroech added, Unfortunately, it wasn’t accepted,
according to ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos.
Alia Hussain, president of the union’s WestJet component, stated: We tried until the very last minute to get a fair deal that recognizes the value of the work cabin crews do.
Hussain further noted, WestJet’s offer did not go far enough,
and affirmed, We are on strike because we believe we deserve better. We are ready to go back to the table to settle,
according to ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos and USA Today. Both sides indicated a willingness to resume negotiations to reach an agreement, as reported by ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. Patty Hajdu, Canada’s jobs minister, called the development disappointing and stated that expectations remain that parties should come to an agreement at the bargaining table, according to USA Today.
Operational Impacts and Passenger Guidance
Due to the work stoppage, WestJet announced it could not operate any of its scheduled flights utilizing Boeing 737 or Boeing 787 aircraft, as reported by ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos and AeroTime. However, WestJet Encore flights operated on De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 aircraft and codeshare flights operated by airline partners remain unaffected, according to ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos and AeroTime.
Travelers affected by the cancellations will be offered refunds or reaccommodated, according to ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. WestJet stated it will contact customers who booked directly via email, while individuals who made reservations through a travel agent or a third-party booking platform must contact those specific companies for assistance, as detailed by ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos and economictimes.indiatimes.com.
Context Within Canadian Aviation Labor Disputes
Those events reflect broader efforts by cabin crew unions across Canada and the United States to challenge compensation structures that primarily pay staff only while aircraft are in motion, as noted by USA Today and AeroTime.
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