you’re watching CTV News Channel I’m Roger Peterson thank you very much for joining us WestJet mechanics have called off plans for a strike agreeing to head back to the bargaining table but there are still customers scrambling from preemptively canceled flights we’re hoping to get home and you know earlier and now we won’t be getting home till 1:00 tomorrow morning the union for the 670 mechanics pulled its strike notice when talks picked up again the mechanics are looking for better pay benefits and working conditions the union rejected westjet’s first offer last week the airline had canceled about 40 flights in anticipation of a strike WestJet says it is working to resume normal operations as quickly as possible and for more on this we are joined by CTV Scott HST Scott thanks for joining us some good news for passengers on WestJet Roger good morning some good news for now as we’re learning that a strike has been averted at least in the time being as the two sides have announced overnight that they have agreed to go back to the bargaining table and try to hammer out a resolution between the two parties and come to some sort of agreement where more passengers won’t be affected as you mentioned WestJet went ahead and preemptively canceled a few dozen flights affecting some several thousand passengers who are scrambling to find other options but of course a strike that was set to begin later today would have affected many more people and of course the people that are fighting for better pay these unionized mechanics some 670 set to walk off the job that was set to pick place tonight over pay benefits and working conditions they overwhelmingly rejected a tentative offer last week so now we’re learning that they’re both going back to the bargaining table WestJet had requested the Canada industrial Relations Board to intervene a move opposed by the union and in a latest statement from the airline West J saying the cirb would need more time before making a decision whether arbitration is the best way to reach a collective bargaining agreement but in the meantime this is a good news for some Travelers as it appears that West will try to get back to normal operations and won’t have to cancel many more flights at this point as the two sides are going back to the bargaining table Roger yeah I imagine there are a lot of nervous nervous Travelers right now especially if you’ve booked already with WestJet we already saw how many 60 flights was it yesterday that were canceled because of the potential strike people uh rethinking their travel plans well this is the busy summer travel season so of course a strike would have been incredibly disruptive not just at the major airports here in Canada from coast to coast but likely other places where WestJet flies because of course every time we see A disruption with one airplane one Airline there’s always a ripple effect at many other destinations from coast to coast or as I mentioned other place where WestJet flies and yes there were a few dozen flights that were preemptively canceled affecting some several thousand passengers and as the busy summer travel season really kicks into high gear a lot of people then wondering about their travel plans and it would have had that ripple effect so at the meantime a sigh of relief of course for travelers however at this time as you might expect WestJet is still telling passengers to check the status of their flight before they go to the airport as they try to get back up to normal operations Roger always good advice CTV Scott H thank you thanks Roger
WestJet mechanics have agreed to re-negotiate and avoid a strike, as the airline scrambles to re-book flights. Scott Hurst has the latest.
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