WestJet’s flight attendants have approved a new collective agreement with an overwhelming 90.2 percent vote in favor. Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125, described the vote as a strong endorsement of the improvements negotiated at the table. This marks the union’s second contract and signifies significant progress in ensuring fair compensation for their work.
According to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the agreement encompasses an 18 percent salary increase spread over three years, along with additional pay for ground duties. The contract stipulates a 13 percent wage boost in October, followed by 2.75 percent in January and 2.5 percent at the beginning of 2028.
Despite a request for comment, WestJet has not yet responded. Negotiations, ongoing since January, were contentious due to disputes over wage hikes and compensation for ground tasks. The union had raised concerns about unpaid work during non-flight hours, while WestJet contended that all duties were accounted for under a credit hour system rather than hourly wages.
Effective from January 1, 2026, until December 31, 2028, the new three-year agreement concludes a challenging bargaining process, particularly regarding boarding pay, which led to a brief strike by 4,400 cabin crew members earlier this month. Following the strike, WestJet gradually resumed flight operations after experiencing over 900 cancellations during the busy summer travel season.
Labor disputes have disrupted the aviation sector in recent years, with strikes by Air Canada flight attendants and WestJet mechanics causing temporary halts in operations at the country’s major airlines. WestJet typically operates over 600 flights daily, serving more than 70,000 passengers on peak days.