WestJet employees have decided to pause their job action, but Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is cautioning travelers with WestJet bookings that their flights could still face disruptions. Following the cancellation of several hundred flights, WestJet and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) reached a tentative agreement in their contract dispute early Monday. YVR mentioned that it will take some time for WestJet’s operations to return to normal. On Monday, 21 WestJet flights are set to depart from Vancouver, while 49 others remain canceled. WestJet Encore flights were not impacted by the situation.
Flight attendants from WestJet went on strike on Sunday to advocate for compensation during non-flying hours when they assist passengers or wait for delayed flights. Some WestJet passengers, like Tran Thai from Edmonton, experienced the repercussions of the disruptions on Monday. Thai shared that his flight got canceled, and he had to rearrange his travel plans by flying from Vancouver to Victoria in the evening and enduring a 16-hour layover before catching a flight back home.
The details of the tentative agreement between WestJet and CUPE have not been disclosed by WestJet yet. The agreement will be subject to ratification by CUPE members before becoming effective.