WestJet’s flight attendants have approved a new collective agreement with an overwhelming 90.2 percent vote in favor. Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the members’ strong support reflects the significant progress achieved during negotiations. The agreement, the second of its kind, includes substantial benefits such as an 18 percent salary increase spread over three years and additional compensation for ground duties.
Under this new contract, employees will see a 13 percent raise this October, followed by a 2.75 percent increase in January and a 2.5 percent bump at the beginning of 2028. The deal, effective from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028, came after prolonged discussions that mainly centered on wage adjustments and resolving disputes over unpaid ground tasks.
Despite the airline’s silence on the matter, negotiations had been ongoing since January, with disagreements between WestJet and the CUPE WestJet Component. The union had persistently raised concerns about uncompensated off-duty work, while the airline argued that all duties were accounted for under a “credit hour” system rather than hourly wages.
The agreement followed intense talks, notably concerning boarding pay, which led to a brief strike by 4,400 cabin crew members earlier in the month. WestJet’s flight operations gradually resumed to normal levels after experiencing over 900 flight cancellations during the busy summer travel season. The aviation sector has witnessed several labor disputes in recent years, including strikes by Air Canada flight attendants and WestJet mechanics, causing disruptions at the country’s major airlines.
With more than 600 daily flights and over 70,000 passengers on peak days, WestJet remains a significant player in the aviation industry.