WestJet’s flight attendants, represented by CUPE 8125, have issued a 72-hour strike notice, with WestJet responding by issuing a 72-hour lockout notice.
In announcing its strike notice, CUPE 8125 president, Alia Hussain said that: “We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal.”
The WestJet Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Alexis von Hoensbroech said that for its part: “The decision to issue a lockout notice, in response to the actions taken by the union, was not one that was made lightly. We sincerely regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this continues to cause for our guests.”
He continued: “We greatly value the work and contributions of our Cabin Crew, and it is our responsibility to ensure the integrity of our network and to minimize the risk of stranding our guests, crew and aircraft.”
And von Hoensbroech stated: “Our commitment remains at the bargaining table, where we will continue to work around the clock to come to an agreement that provides value and meaningful improvements for our Cabin Crew and is sustainable for our company.”
For its part, CUPE 8125 said that its strike notice does not mean flight attendants want to go on strike, noting that it “has been clear throughout negotiations that its goal is to reach a fair agreement without disrupting passengers or the travelling public.”
The union – representing WestJet’s 4,400 flight attendants – is also calling on the federal government to respect the collective bargaining process and allow the parties to reach a fair, negotiated agreement without government intervention.
CUPE’s Hussain said: ““There’s still time to avoid a strike. We will continue to bargain around the clock until this is resolved. We want a fair contract for our members that recognizes the value of flight attendants’ work and recognizes our position as employees of the second-largest carrier in Canada. We look forward to further discussions with WestJet at the table so we can resolve this before August 2nd.”
WestJet also made it clear that “these notices do not immediately impact operations or mean that a labour disruption will occur. WestJet and CUPE are still actively negotiating to reach an agreement, avoiding impact to our guests.”
However, the company also said that if an agreement is not reached, a work stoppage could occur as early as Aug. 2 at 00:01 MT.
It advised that in the coming days, WestJet will take all necessary actions to manage the potential impacts as much as possible, including:
- Managing changes and cancellations, to ensure the ability to communicate with guests in advance of changes.
- Continue to offer Flexible Change/Cancel policies for those guests with travel bookings between July 30, 2026, and August 4, 2026, who wish to make alternate arrangements.
And the company added that should flight delays or cancellations occur, impacted guests will be refunded or re-accommodated, as applicable.
