Canadian Airline Mechanics’ Defiant Strike Has Paid Off
Against orders from Justin Trudeau’s government, WestJet mechanics went on strike. Their actions secured substantial wage gains and a resounding victory for workers’ rights.
WestJet mechanics went on strike last weekend and won. (David Kawai / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In a surprise move over the Canada Day long weekend, WestJet mechanics went on strike on Friday, June 28. This came on the heels of federal minister of labor Seamus O’Regan’s ordering of binding arbitration on June 27, after WestJet made the request to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). While O’Regan’s order is within his right as labor minister, the CIRB has twice ruled that such a referral does not suspend the right to strike. On June 20, the board also rejected WestJet’s application for an injunction to prevent any possible strike action.
Members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) voted overwhelmingly for strike action on May 9, with 99 percent in favor and a 90 percent turnout. On June 11, they decisively rejected WestJet’s offer, prompting the latest round of negotiations before the arbitration order. For the aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) at WestJet, pay remains a major point of contention. These negotiations are for the AMEs’ first contract, as they voted to join AMFA in early 2023 and have already filed unfair labor practice complaints against the company during negotiations.
The Right to Strike
O’Regan’s decision to send the dispute to arbitration is controversial. New Democratic Party (NDP) labor critic Matthew Green released a statement criticizing the decision, noting that arbitration has only been used for federally regulated labor disputes seven times in the past forty-five years. In light of a 2015 Supreme Court decision recognizing the right to strike, this forced arbitration could be a violation of collective bargaining rights. Ironically, just days ago, the government enacted a ban on the use of replacement workers during strikes and lockouts in federally regulated industries, with a press release stating, “The Government of Canada believes in free and fair collective bargaining.”
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