WestJet Airlines announced on Wednesday that it has received a second strike notice from the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), representing its maintenance engineers. This comes just days after the union withdrew its initial strike notice and agreed to return to the negotiation table.
Previously, on May 4th, WestJet issued a 72-hour lockout notice, indicating that if an agreement was not reached by May 7th, it could lead to a work stoppage. WestJet's decision was in response to AMFA's strike vote notice and its public recommendation that passengers choose other airlines. WestJet President Diederik Pen stated that the decision was not made lightly, but due to AMFA's unreasonable demands and the slow progress of negotiations, the company had no choice but to issue the lockout notice to push for a final resolution.
After receiving the lockout notice, AMFA and WestJet agreed to return to the negotiating table, attempting to find a solution through further discussion. Under the auspices of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), they continued to discuss whether arbitration was needed to resolve the initial collective agreement.
The issuance of the second strike notice has once again complicated and intensified the negotiation process. WestJet stated that it will make every effort to ensure the continuity and safety of its services, aiming to avoid unnecessary impacts on passengers.
