Aug 24 (Reuters) – WestJet flight attendants on Monday voted to accept a tentative agreement that would boost wages by more than 18% over three years, their union said, after they held a strike that caused hundreds of cancellations earlier this month.
The airline’s flight attendants also secured duty pay premium as part of a broader shift in North America, where cabin crews are challenging compensation structures built mainly around flying time rather than every hour at work.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents about 4,400 WestJet flight attendants, had sought compensation from the time members check in for work until they clock out. A premium offered in the tentative agreement would provide additional compensation for previously unpaid time. Air Canada, American Airlines, Alaska Air, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have introduced pay for boarding or other specified ground time, increasing pressure on other carriers to recognize more of the hours attendants spend on duty. The union announced a tentative deal with Canada’s second-largest carrier, which is majority-owned by Onex Corp, on August 3.
(Reporting By Allison Lampert; Editing by Leroy Leo)
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