Key facts
- Flight attendants at WestJet, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), have initiated a strike.
- The strike began after contract negotiations between the union and the airline failed to reach an agreement.
- CUPE is advocating for flight attendants to be paid from the time they check in until they clock out.
- WestJet had preemptively canceled 309 flights to mitigate the impact of the strike on travelers and aircraft.
Flight attendants at Canadian carrier WestJet initiated a strike on Sunday after contract negotiations with the airline failed to produce an agreement. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 4,400 flight attendants, announced the strike after giving 72 hours' notice earlier in the week. The union's primary demand centers on a compensation structure that would pay members from the time they check in until they clock out, a change from the current practice where pay is primarily tied to when the aircraft is in motion.