(Calgary) WestJet airline pilots have issued a 72-hour strike notice to the company and the government, according to their union.
The Association of Air Line Pilots says all of the company’s planes could be grounded and grounded as early as Friday morning, just ahead of the arrival of a three-day vacation in Canada
Bernard Lewall, who represents WestJet pilots in the union, speaks about many labor issues at the airline.
WestJet responded with a lockout notice, saying there could be a work stoppage at 3 a.m. prairie time on Friday.
“The decision to issue a lockout notice in response to union action was not taken lightly and we sincerely regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this is causing our customers,” WestJet Group CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech wrote in a press release.
However, the press release adds that the two parties remain at the negotiating table.
WestJet assures travelers affected by flight delays or cancellations will receive a refund or rebooking.
The union represents around 1,600 crew members at WestJet and its subsidiary Swoop.
Last week, Bernard Lewall said the sticking points had been job security, pay and flight schedules, as around 340 pilots had left the airline over the past year and a half, mostly to join other airlines.
The Calgary-based airline states that its pilots are among the highest paid in Canada, but that an employment contract comparable to those recently in place by certain groups of pilots in the United States would be financially unfeasible and jeopardize the future of the pilot company would be endangered.
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