Ottawa: The union, representing WestJet’s pilots, has given an ultimatum to the airline’s management and the federal government, that 1,600 of its members will go on strike on Friday morning if a new agreement is not reached by the deadline.
Ahead of May’s Longweekend, the union said all flights would be suspended and all operations would be suspended after the strike.
The WestJet Airlines Pilots Association (ALPA) says that their committee is available 24/7 to conclude the deal with the company. In April, the ALPA said 93 per cent of its members were in favour of the strike. The union also says that they are demanding better salaries, schedules and job security.
Last week, the union had started posting details of the bargaining on Twitter, but on Monday, an ultimatum for the strike was given.
In a release issued last week, WestJet ALPA Chair Bernard Leewall said some 340 pilots have left the company in the last one-and-a-half years and most are working with other airlines.
In response to the ALPA’s strike notice, WestJet said it would do its best to continue the negotiations and find a solution to the issue soon.