Flight attendants at Canada's WestJet go on strike in dispute over pay - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

WestJet's roughly 4,400 flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, went on strike Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, in a dispute over pay at Canada's second-largest airline.
The airline canceled 495 flights on Sunday, according to FlightAware, disrupting travel for about 250,000 passengers during a three-day weekend.
A central issue is how attendants are paid for duties performed on the ground; the union says some of this work is unpaid, while the company insists staff are compensated through a "credit hour" system rather than an hourly rate.
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the company proposed making WestJet the only Canadian airline to offer an hourly rate covering all pre- and post-flight time, plus a double-digit first-year wage increase, but the offer was rejected.
The company's proposal included a 13% wage increase in October, 2.5% raises each January for three years, retroactive pay to last January, and additional compensation equal to another 12% of salary, along with improved meal per diems, vacation allowance and maternity leave.
Union chapter president Alia Hussain said negotiators tried until the last minute for a fair deal but that WestJet's offer "did not go far enough," while both sides said they were willing to return to talks; stranded travelers such as Keavin Ly, headed to Los Angeles, were left seeking alternate flights and accommodations.