WestJet flight attendants’ strike vote results expected today as long weekend disruption looms

The carrier’s flight attendants are set to learn the results of a strike vote that could pave the way for labour action during one of the busiest travel periods of the summer. If members vote in favour and no agreement is reached, they could legally strike as early as Aug. 2.

TORONTO — The Canadian travel industry will be watching closely today as the results of WestJet flight attendants’ strike vote are expected to be announced, with the outcome potentially setting the stage for labour action during the August long weekend. Approximately 4,400 flight attendants represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 8125 voted between July 8 and 15 on whether to authorize strike action. According to CBC News and the Calgary Herald, a successful strike mandate would not result in an immediate walkout but would give the union the authority to strike if negotiations fail.

Following the end of the federally mandated cooling-off period, either the union or WestJet would be required to provide 72 hours’ notice before any strike or lockout could begin. That means the earliest possible job action could occur on Aug. 2, just ahead of the August long weekend in many provinces. WestJet and CUPE have been negotiating a new collective agreement since late 2025 after the previous contract expired at the end of last year.

GROUND PAY REMAINS A STICKING POINT Much like last year’s labour dispute between Air Canada and its flight attendants , one of the central issues in the current negotiations is compensation for work performed before takeoff and after landing. “The issues sound a little familiar, if you remember last summer with Air Canada,” John Gradek, an aviation management lecturer at McGill University, told CBC Calgary .

“It’s not as if WestJet didn’t know this was coming,” Gradek said, adding that he believes the airline has not recognized that its largest competitor has shifted how it pays workers. “They haven’t even met the Air Canada position, which is not acceptable,” he said, noting the federal government has also been examining the issue since Air Canada’s 2025 labour dispute. “IT’S OUTDATED”

According to the Calgary Herald , WestJet flight attendants are paid using a “credit hour” system, which provides a higher rate for time spent in the air rather than paying separately for duties performed before takeoff and after landing. The model, used by several North American airlines, was introduced decades ago after flight attendants advocated for a compensation structure similar to that used for pilots. The union argues the model no longer reflects today’s operating environment.

As reported by the Calgary Herald, cabin crew say boarding has become more time-consuming as more passengers travel with carry-on luggage to avoid checked baggage fees, while enhanced security procedures and longer tarmac delays have added to the amount of unpaid work performed before departure and after arrival. According to WestJet, flight attendants earn between $28.45 and $53.61 per credit hour, while widebody cabin managers earn between $37.54 and $69.69 per credit hour. However, the union says those figures don’t reflect the total hours worked.

The Calgary Herald reports that on a typical Calgary–Vancouver flight, a flight attendant may earn about $40 for the hour spent in the air while working roughly three additional hours preparing the aircraft, boarding passengers and completing post-flight duties. The union argues that once those hours are factored in, the effective wage falls to about $10 an hour – about $5 below Alberta’s minimum wage. WestJet has defended the credit-hour model as the industry standard across North America, maintaining that flight attendants are compensated for all hours worked because the higher credit-hour rate is intended to account for duties performed on the ground.

CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech has nevertheless indicated the airline is willing to revise the compensation structure. “We want a contract that makes sense for our flight attendants. If they want a different way of crediting the hours, no problem at all.

We will do what makes the most sense for flight attendants. We want a contract that works for flight attendants,” he told CTV. WestJet says significant progress has already been made at the bargaining table, with dozens of collective agreement items resolved while negotiations continue on remaining issues including wages, compensation, scheduling, work-life balance and other workplace improvements.

ECHOES OF AIR CANADA’S 2025 DISPUTE The current negotiations are drawing inevitable comparisons to last summer’s Air Canada flight attendant disput e, which also centred on compensation for unpaid ground duties. In August 2025, Air Canada flight attendants served strike notice, prompting the airline to suspend hundreds of flights over several days. Although the two sides reached a tentative agreement through mediation and operations resumed, more than 99% of union members rejected the deal the following month.

The dispute ultimately moved to binding arbitration, eliminating the possibility of further strike action.