WestJet flight attendants vote on deal offering 18% raise over 3 years
Calgary-based WestJet's 4,400 cabin crew members are deciding whether to ratify a contract that ended a one-day strike earlier this month.
Why it matters
The outcome of the vote will determine whether Calgary-based WestJet avoids further disruptions to its flight schedule after a summer of cancellations.
WestJet flight attendants were finishing a week-long vote on a tentative contract deal negotiated between their union and the airline, with balloting wrapping up in the afternoon of Aug. 24.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the agreement includes a wage increase of more than 18 per cent over three years, along with new compensation for work performed on the ground. Negotiations had been contentious, particularly over boarding pay, and led to a one-day strike by roughly 4,400 cabin crew members earlier this month.
That strike triggered more than 900 flight cancellations at the height of the summer travel season before WestJet's schedule gradually returned to normal.
If ratified, the deal would give workers a 13 per cent wage increase this October, followed by a 2.75 per cent raise in January and a further 2.5 per cent increase at the start of 2028. The agreement comes amid a broader wave of labour unrest in Canada's aviation sector, which has also seen strikes by Air Canada flight attendants and WestJet mechanics disrupt operations at the country's two largest airlines.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.