"We believe we deserve better": WestJet flight attendants go on strike

WestJet’s mainline cabin crew are on strike, according to an update that was posted to CUPE Local 8125's (WestJet Component) Facebook page early Sunday (August 2). 

More than 4,000 WestJet flight attendants officially walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. MT after a 72-hour notice period expired, triggering hundreds of flight cancellations and leaving thousands of travellers stranded.

“We tried until the very last minute to get a fair deal that recognizes the value of the work cabin crews do,” said Alia Hussain, CUPE 8125 President, in a statement early Sunday morning. “WestJet's offer did not go far enough.” 

“We are on strike because we believe we deserve better. We are ready to go back to the table to settle. We hope the federal government will not interfere and will let the bargaining process run its course. Unpaid work is a big piece of our priorities, but we are bargaining a comprehensive contract.”

“We would not be here if they had taken our concerns seriously for almost eleven months of bargaining.”

Network-wide cancellations

WestJet's network-wide flight cancellations have now climbed to 309 as the airline continues its planned reduction of operations.

The airline's latest update added 33 more cancellations as of 11 p.m. MT on Saturday, following 78 cancellations earlier in the afternoon, 86 by 11 a.m., 32 by 9 a.m., and 80 cancellations announced Friday evening. 

WestJet operates approximately 560 routes each day.

The organized take-down followed the Canadian Union of Public Employees' (CUPE) issuance of a 72-hour strike notice on July 30. WestJet responded by serving the union with a 72-hour lockout notice.

A “new benchmark” for cabin crew? 

In its last bargaining update, WestJet said the union rejected what it described as a "transformative, industry-leading" agreement for its cabin crew, arguing the offer directly addressed the union's key priorities raised throughout negotiations.

According to the airline, the proposal accepted the union's concept for additional compensation before and after flights, representing a double-digit increase in pay.

It also included an additional double-digit wage increase in the first year, on top of the new compensation model, followed by what WestJet called "meaningful wage increases" over the life of the agreement.

The airline said it also proposed significant scheduling and quality-of-life improvements aimed at providing cabin crew with greater flexibility and predictability.

WestJet said the proposal would have set a “new benchmark” for cabin crew compensation and quality-of-life provisions while supporting the airline's long-term sustainability.

The carrier also argued the agreement would have made it the only airline in Canada to pay an “hourly rate for everything,” while exceeding the total compensation benchmark established in the country's most recent peer collective agreement.

"WestJet remains committed to reaching a negotiated agreement and believes a deal is within reach," the airline wrote in its update, which was posted at 11:47 a.m. MT on Saturday (Aug. 1).

The airline has implemented a Flexible Change/Cancel policy for travel scheduled between now and Aug. 4, 2026. Click here for details.

WestJet Encore flights booked on a Q400 and WestJet codeshare flights operated by airline partners are not impacted by the labour disruption.

This is a developing story. 

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