The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) announced on Wednesday, May 29, that the pilots of WestJet Encore, a Canadian regional airline, had given notice of a 72-hour strike to the company management and government.
Read also: Canada: WestJet and Aircraft Engineers' Union Reach Tentative Deal, Preventing Work Stoppage
Pilots' Union Slams WestJet Encore Management for Lack of Progress
Carin Kenny, head of the ALPA Master Executive Council, expressed her disappointment that management has still not acknowledged the pilots' demands after eight months of negotiations, according to Reuters. With more than 77,000 pilots from 43 different airlines in the United States and Canada, ALPA is the biggest pilot union globally.
WestJet has warned the union in advance of a potential strike, so a work stoppage may happen as soon as Saturday, June 1, if an agreement is not reached.
This news follows when the two parties' preliminary agreement was unable to be ratified earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the carrier said that the lockout notification is not indicative of any impending travel disruptions. The service will, however, be ready to run on a modified timetable and provide accommodating cancellation and modification policies for customers who choose to rearrange their plans.
According to a statement from WestJet, the pilots would have been among the highest-paid in their industry if the tentative agreement, which was rejected earlier this month, had been accepted.
The airline has given a warning to the union about a potential work stoppage. If an agreement is not reached, the stoppage could take place.
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