WestJet and its flight attendants union still do not have a deal as a strike deadline approaches, according to a report by CBC News Toronto. A major sticking point in the dispute is cabin crew doing unpaid work before and after a flight, an issue that has kept the two sides apart at the bargaining table.
Despite the gridlock in discussions, the report said there was still time for both sides to avoid a strike or lockout, but that a deal would have to be made in the next few hours. The clock was ticking toward a work stoppage that threatened to disrupt travel across the country.
At Toronto's Pearson International Airport, one of the country's busiest, WestJet check-in kiosks were described as abandoned and empty. The airline had cancelled 86 flights there ahead of the looming work stoppage deadline, saying the move was meant to protect passengers and crews from getting stranded.
The flight attendants union has a strike mandate at midnight Mountain time, and WestJet said it was on the same timeline. As a result, all WestJet planes could be grounded unless the two sides could reach a tentative agreement before the deadline arrived.
Passengers were already being inconvenienced as they waited for the outcome. Travelers were seen huddled and speaking with agents, with flights to destinations such as Mexico, Jamaica and Scotland cancelled. One woman had a flight from Toronto to Calgary that was not cancelled, but her onward layover from Calgary to Las Vegas had been.
One woman who was supposed to be in Scotland said there had been no communication from WestJet. She said she had tried calling the airline but was told there were too many people online and to call back later, and that when she tried in person, staff did not have any information either. She said she did not know what she was supposed to do about hotels or whether WestJet would help her.
The disruption was not limited to Toronto. Vancouver International Airport, which saw 16 flights cancelled, said it had increased its staffing for terminals to help passengers navigating the situation, as frustration was reported among travelers coast to coast to coast.
The report noted that Canada has protection laws for air travelers. If an airline has to cancel a flight for circumstances beyond its control, which this case counts as, the airline must rebook the passenger on a different flight to the same destination in a timely way. The head of a company that helps travelers defend their rights in court said the airline has to find a passenger a flight departing within the next 48 hours, or refund them, and that passengers could also buy a new ticket on another airline and ask WestJet for a refund.