Business Council Alberta calls for immediate federal action to end WestJet disruption

Pressure is mounting on federal authorities as business leaders demand swift intervention to halt an ongoing strike at Canada’s second-biggest airline, according to Aol. The work stoppage has grounded vital transportation links and stranded thousands of passengers during a major holiday weekend.

The Business Council Alberta has formally called upon the federal government to use emergency powers to end the flight attendant strike. Business leaders argue that the disruption is inflicting severe harm on Canadian families, the tourism economy, and crucial supply chain networks.

Media additions

Core Issues at the Bargaining Table

The labour dispute erupted after contract talks broke down between management and union representatives. Over 4,000 flight attendants walked off the job on Sunday, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 cabin crew at the carrier, as announced on Facebook. WestJet canceled 309 flights as of early Sunday, disrupting travel plans during a three-day weekend in Canada. The central disagreement revolves around compensation for ground duties. Cabin crew members argue they are forced to perform uncompensated labour while aircraft remain on the ground. The dispute centers around how flight attendants should be paid for duties performed while the plane is still on the ground. The union argues some of that work is unpaid, while WestJet says its staff is compensated through a “credit hour” system instead of an hourly rate.

"We tried until the very last minute to get a fair deal that recognizes the value of the work cabin crews do,"

Alia Hussain, CUPE 8125 President, via AOL

According to AOL, Alia Hussain, CUPE 8125 President, stated that WestJet’s offer did not go far enough.

"We are on strike because we believe we deserve better. We are ready to go back to the table to settle. We hope the federal government will not interfere and will let the bargaining process run its course. Unpaid work is a big piece of our priorities, but we are bargaining a comprehensive contract,"

Alia Hussain, CUPE 8125 President, via AOL

Management counters that its proposal introduced a novel compensation framework. The airline stated that its offer included a double-digit wage increase and a structure designed to establish a new industry standard for cabin crew pay. WestJet said in a statement that its proposal to the union would have set a new standard for cabin crew in Canada, making WestJet the only airline to offer an hourly rate covering all time before and after flights.

The union representing the striking workers maintains that previous proposals failed to adequately value the comprehensive work performed by cabin crews. Picket lines have formed outside major transport hubs, such as Toronto’s Pearson Airport, while negotiations have reportedly continued behind the scenes, according to sources who spoke to CBC News.

Impact on Travelers and the Economy

The strike has disrupted holiday travel plans across the country. According to reports covered by AOL, the carrier grounded hundreds of flights as operations wound down. WestJet offers flights to over 100 cities across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and several other countries. Mainline flights operating on Boeing 737s or 787s have been completely halted, and travelers will either be refunded or re-accommodated, with customers receiving updates via email. Meanwhile, regional turboprop services on WestJet Encore flights operated on a Q400, as well as code-share flights operated by airline partners, have remained operational. The airline also canceled about 80 flights on Saturday as it wound down operations ahead of the strike, according to the Calgary Herald.

Local business leaders have warned of the broader economic fallout. Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, noted the scale of the disruption in a statement:

"As one of Calgary’s largest employers and key drivers of our economy, WestJet operates approximately 700 flights each day and carries more than 70,000 passengers daily,"

Deborah Yedlin, Calgary Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, via AOL

Yedlin added that with a busy season of travel ahead, disruption to this essential service could impact as many as 250,000 travelers through the long weekend, with negative repercussions being felt on Canada’s tourism economy and supply chain networks.

Political and Industrial Tensions

The conflict has reignited a broader debate regarding labour instability in Canada's vital infrastructure sectors. Business advocates point to historical data showing that in 2025, Canada lost 4.3 million person-days to work stoppages — the highest number ever recorded. The transportation sector accounted for 36 per cent of all stoppages and experienced more than 60 work stoppages over the past two years, with disruptions across ports, railways, airlines, and seaways becoming increasingly commonplace. This instability risks undermining the country's competitiveness, trade relationships, and the attraction of private-sector investment in which Prime Minister Carney has himself set a goal of $1 trillion in total investment over five years.

The Business Council of Alberta has urged the government to invoke specific legislative measures to force an end to the current stoppage, specifically calling on the federal government to invoke Section 107 of the Canadian Labour Code to end the strike and get WestJet planes flying again.

"More than 15 hours have passed since WestJet flight attendants went on strike during one of the busiest travel weekends of the summer,"

Adam Legge, Business Council of Alberta President, via Yahoo Finance

"The federal government has both the authority and the responsibility to intervene. The BCA urges them to act immediately to restore air service and limit further harm to Canadian families, businesses, and the economy,"

Adam Legge, Business Council of Alberta President, via Yahoo Finance

Legge further argued that federal authorities possess both the authority and the responsibility to restore air service swiftly, noting that in 2025 the federal government acted within hours of the Air Canada cabin crew strike, and that Canadians affected by the WestJet disruption deserve the same urgency and a consistent response from their federal government for an Alberta-based airline. Beyond resolving the immediate disruption, the BCA urges the federal government to pursue reforms that strengthen early dispute resolution, improve bargaining certainty, and reduce the likelihood of prolonged disruptions in nationally significant transportation and supply chain networks.

However, labour representatives hold a starkly contrasting view regarding government intervention. Union officials have expressed hope that federal authorities will refrain from interfering, allowing the traditional collective bargaining process to run its course. Similar disputes in the past, including actions involving Air Canada — the country's largest carrier, whose flight attendants went on strike last August over similar issues including pay, have seen authorities step in, though such orders in that dispute were later defied by workers who refused to return to work during a three-day stoppage that affected over 100,000 customers.

What to Watch Next

• Ongoing informal bargaining sessions and negotiations between airline representatives and union leaders.
• Potential federal announcements regarding the use of Section 107 of the Canadian Labour Code.
• Further flight cancellation updates, refunds, and re-accommodation notices issued directly to affected passengers by email.
• Broader developments concerning national transportation infrastructure, early dispute resolution reforms, and labour policy.