WestJet, one of Canada\u2019s largest airlines, canceled hundreds of trips on Sunday as the company\u2019s flight attendants walked off the job after a breakdown in negotiations over a new labor contract.<\/p>\n
The strike is occurring in the middle of what is a long weekend in most parts of Canada. The airline\u2019s most popular routes are domestic, but flights to other destinations \u2014 including the United States, Europe and Asia \u2014 were also affected. During peak travel seasons, WestJet carries up to 70,000 passengers per day.<\/p>\n
The flight attendants are lobbying for an increase in wages and to be compensated not only while flights are in the air, but for the time spent on currently unpaid ground duties<\/a>, including passenger boarding and safety presentations.<\/p>\n The Canadian Union of Public Employees, the labor organization representing the 4,400 flight attendants, said in a Facebook post<\/a> on Sunday morning that the strike began shortly after 2 a.m. Eastern, after union negotiators failed to reach an agreement with the airline.<\/p>\n Alia Hussain, the president of the local union chapter, said that WestJet\u2019s latest offer did not go far enough and called on the Canadian government to let negotiations continue without interference.<\/p>\n \u201cWe tried until the very last minute to get a fair deal that recognizes the value of the work cabin crews do,\u201d Ms. Hussain said in a statement on Sunday. \u201cWe would not be here if they had taken our concerns seriously for almost 11 months of bargaining.\u201d<\/p>\n The union had provided a 72-hour notice on July 30 that workers would go on strike if a new contract with the company were not reached by Sunday.<\/p>\n In response to the union\u2019s strike notice, the airline issued a lockout notice, which can involve withholding paychecks and preventing employees from working.<\/p>\n